Crossroads
by Abby J and Amber L
Summary: When a serious accident threatens the lives of two members of the Bartlet family, it puts everything in perspective and leads to important decisions for Jed and Abbey as they recover from the aftermath. Part 17 of the Snapshots of the Past series.
1. Chapter 1

Series: Snapshots of the Past

Story: Crossroads

Chapter 1

Disclaimer: The characters depicted in this story belong to NBC, WB, Aaron Sorkin, and John Wells. We're just borrowing them for some fun :)

Story summary: When a serious accident threatens the lives of two members of the Bartlet family, it puts everything in perspective and leads to important decisions for Jed and Abbey as they recover from the aftermath.

Author's Note: Thanks to all the readers out there for still reading this series after all these years!

* * *

It was a clear April night in 1987, the last day of school before spring break in the Manchester School District. Ellie Bartlet bundled herself up and stepped onto the porch for a night of stargazing. The winter chill was still in the air in these early days of spring, but she didn't care. The sky, with all its twinkling stars, mesmerized her. They weren't always visible in Manchester - blurred by clouds or the city lights of Boston only 40 minutes away - a night like tonight was a treat and Ellie wasn't going to take it for granted. She had even managed to persuade Zoey to join her. Kicking her feet in the air, the younger girl sat on the swing and listened to her big sister's astronomy lesson.

It was Jed who first inspired Ellie's interest in astronomy. He'd filled in as co-leader of her girl scout troupe and taught her to navigate by the North Star during a camping trip. He picked up on her enthusiasm and soon, a lecture on the North Star turned into a lecture on the solar system. Ellie had been enamored ever since. She'd be a scientist someday, her parents were convinced. From the time Abbey bought Ellie her first chemistry set, the blonde preteen had discovered her love and talent for science. The only blip in her excitement was the Challenger disaster, but with true Bartlet resilience, she overcame the trauma and grief triggered by watching her hero die on national television. As she recovered from the shock, she dusted herself off and clinged even harder to her love of astronomy.

Her telescope was black and portable with a three-inch aperture. Top-of-the-line for kids, Jed had told her when he gave it to her as a Christmas present. In the summer, it lived in the backyard, mounted on its tripod for late summer nights or sleepovers when she wanted to show off for her friends. In the winter, she parked it in her bedroom and sometimes, if the forecast and predictions were just right, she pointed the lens out her window in anticipation of catching of the slightest glimpse of the Aurora Borealis, the beautiful light show that she'd been obsessed with since the family's trip to Sweden.

She brought it downstairs aimed it at the sky that night on the porch. "You wanna see Saturn?"

"YEAH!" Zoey hopped out of her seat and hurried over.

"Okay, don't move it." Ellie helped guide her as Zoey stood on the tips of her toes to look through the eyepiece.

"WOW!" Zoey was instantly impressed. "You think daddy will buy me a telescope?"

"Sure, if you tell him that's what you want for your birthday or something."

The girls continued their exploration of the solar system with Ellie pointing out the small spec she'd recently learned was actually Neptune until Abbey opened the door in search of her youngest daughter.

"Zoey, did you finish your math worksheet?"

"Not yet."

"I told you I wanted to check it before bed."

"Ellie said she'd check it," Zoey lied.

Abbey looked to her middle daughter for confirmation.

"It's okay, Mom. I'll do it." Ellie covered for her. She felt like she had no other choice.

"Okay," Abbey agreed. "I want you both inside in 10 minutes. I'll be upstairs."

As soon as the door closed behind her, Ellie turned to her sister.

"Zo, you have to finish the worksheet."

"I don't understand it."

"But I explained it to you."

"I didn't get it and it's too late now. Can't you do it for me? Please?"

"No! I did it a few times in the past as a favor. But you have to do your own homework!"

"Ellie please?" Zoey pleaded. "Just this once?"

"You always say 'just this once.' "

"But it takes you 5 minutes. It'll take me all night."

"How are you supposed to learn if you don't do your own homework?"

"I'll do it next time, I promise. PLEEEAAASSSEEE?"

Ellie pondered the request carefully as she went back to her telescope. She hated the position she was in and she fully acknowledged that it was her own fault. If she'd just said no the first time Zoey asked her to do her homework, she wouldn't be in this mess now. She seriously considered going to Abbey and confessing what she'd done for Zoey's own good. She silently debated it, but knowing the repercussions they would both face for cheating, she didn't have the heart to go through with it. Instead, she dismantled her telescope and led Zoey back in the house, promising they'd finish the worksheet together.

* * *

The sun crept slowly above the horizon the next morning and the dark moonlit fields began to glow in hues of red and yellow. The buzz of an alarm clock pierced the silence of the master bedroom. Abbey turned it off, but didn't rise from her bed. She covered herself in blankets and stared straight ahead, reflecting on the incident that was about to make today one of the worst days in her career.

A patient had died on her watch. Francis Pendleton. She missed the fatal diagnosis that killed him and now she'd have to discuss it, openly, for the sake of review at a conference of residents and faculty. An M&M is what it was called, short for Morbidity and Mortality. It was a monthly event, but for the first time, all eyes would be on Abbey and the resident she worked with that day as they detailed the admission, the surgery, and the postoperative complications that took Mr. Pendleton's life.

She continued to lie there until the phone rang.

It had to be Jed.

"Morning, beautiful," he said before the receiver even reached her ear.

"Hey." She smiled. "You're up early...for you."

"I wanted my voice to be the first thing you heard this morning."

That voice. That strong, loving voice that filled her with reassurance and calmed her immediately.

"You always know just what I need."

"Hold that thought until tonight."

"Are you going to tell me where we're going yet?" He'd promised a special night on the town, but refused to give any details.

"Trust me, sweet knees, you don't want me to give it away."

His lips curved into a mischievous little grin. He reveled in surprising her and this surprise was going to be one like none other. He could hardly wait.

"Don't forget to bring my engagement ring," she said, reminding him how important it was that he remember her ring. She could have kicked herself for leaving it behind at their D.C. apartment when she visited two weeks earlier. She'd taken it off for her shower and the second she stepped out, Jed had intercepted her, pushed her up against the wall and kissed her passionately. During their playful tussle, she heard a sound, the clinking of metal hitting the floor. Few things would make her ignore that sound, but Jed had her just where he wanted her. His touch, his chest pressing against hers, the feel of his hot breath against her neck as his fingers trailed down her belly and between her legs. He gently guided her toward the bedroom and just like that, the rings was a distant memory. Afterwards, when she went back to search for them, she was horrified to realize her engagement ring was gone.

What she didn't know was that it was intentional. After they made love, Jed returned to the bathroom, where he picked it up off the floor and hid it in his pocket. He had ulterior motives and plans for that little gem. Abbey searched the apartment, but never found it. She was so upset, she almost postponed her return flight home, but he promised he'd look for it in order to rush her out the door. It wasn't until she landed in Boston that he finally told her the ring was safe and sound and that he'd bring it to New Hampshire on his next trip.

"I won't forget it, don't worry," he promised that morning.

"You're sure it's not scratched?"

"I'm looking right at it, Abbey," he assured her. "It's perfect."

"I'll never take it off again."

Zoey opened the door then. She stepped inside, still in her PJs, and Abbey held out a hand to her. The little girl hopped up in bed beside her mother and Abbey pulled back the sheets and covered her up with the blankets as soon as she got comfortable. They cuddled like this a lot of mornings when Jed was away. Zoey was the only one of the Bartlet girls who routinely woke up early enough to spend some quality time with her mother before the start of the day.

"Did you sleep well, sweetheart?" Abbey gently brushed her bangs off her face.

"Mm hm," Zoey nodded. "Is that Daddy?"

"Who else would it be, silly?" Abbey teased her.

Zoey smiled. Her favorite part of the morning ritual was the daily phone call with her father. "Hi Daddy!"

Jed replied loud enough for her to hear, "Good morning, sunshine. Is Ellie up too?"

"No and she yelled at me when I tried to wake her!"

"That's not very nice," Abbey consoled her.

"And she threw a pillow!"

"She threw a pillow?"

"It hurt too! See?" Zoey pointed to her hand. Not a mark on her, she milked her mother's sympathy.

Abbey suppressed her chuckle and kissed her daughter's hand in an effort to comfort her.

"Jed, you want to talk to Zoey for a sec? I need to wake sleeping beauty."

"Tell her I only have a few minutes if she wants to say hello," Jed said.

"I will." Abbey handed Zoey the receiver and climbed out of bed.

"Daddy, will you buy me a telescope?"

Down the hall, Abbey heard the shower. Ellie was up at least, she thought. She knocked twice on the door, then opened it and let herself in. It was a big day for Ellie. The last day before spring break was also the day of the science fair and Ellie was given a prominent spot to put her project on display. 'The Four Seasons,' she'd titled it, a look at the sun's rays striking Earth and the resulting creation of seasons. She was excited about it, but as usual, her enthusiasm was stunted by nerves. This happened every year and no matter how much support and encouragement she got from her family, the only cure to Ellie's performance anxiety came at the end of the day when she was finished presenting.

"Ellie?" Abbey called her.

"Yeah?"

"How're you doing?"

"Fine."

"I'll accept that answer after you tell what happened between you and Zoey."

Ellie paused for a moment and contemplated that question. "What do you mean?"

"She said you threw a pillow at her."

"I didn't throw it at her. I threw it at the wall," she said from behind the shower curtain.

"Well, that's not what she said."

"She's a drama queen."

"No chance you're just nervous and irritable?" Abbey already knew the answer to that.

"No," Ellie replied, unsure of her answer.

"I think you are."

"I don't mean to be."

"I know you don't. It's okay."

"I'll apologize to her."

"Good. You're going to be amazing, sweetheart. I'll have banana pancakes waiting downstairs before school."

Banana pancakes were her favorite. Ellie rushed through her shower and hopped out to get dressed as quickly as she could and meet her family for breakfast.

* * *

Thirty minutes later, Abbey had finished her own shower and was in the middle of making breakfast. Since Ellie couldn't take her project on the bus, Abbey had decided to take both girls to school that day and had given Mrs. Wilburforce the day off. She made and plated a big stack of golden brown banana pancakes, just as she promised. It was Ellie's favorite and a must on a morning when she was clearly nervous. Abbey poured maple syrup on top and garnished the plate with fresh strawberries before setting it in the middle of the table and calling upstairs for her daughters.

She turned her attention back to the table and that's when she noticed it. Once again, she'd set a place for Elizabeth. She shook her head at that. God, how she missed Lizzie. It had been two months since she married Doug and moved out of the house, but Abbey still forgot from time to time. It was bad enough that Jed was in Washington most days; losing yet another place setting at the table was difficult to get used to. Liz lived only 10 minutes away. She visited often and called even more, but it wasn't the same as having her here and looking across the table to see her smiling face at breakfast. Even her frowning face, complete with sassy teenage rebellion, was better than not seeing her at all.

Abbey returned the plate and glass to the cupboard, then looked back at the table.

"Guess it's a party of three," she whispered to herself, disappointed.

Seconds later, as she pulled out her chair to take a seat, the phone rang. She assumed it would be Jed, but this time, it wasn't.

"Hi Mom," Liz said. "Just wanted to tell you I'm thinking about you today."

Abbey took a breath and smiled at her eldest daughter's voice.

* * *

Morbidity and Mortality conferences were an imperative part of the practice of medicine. When a patient died, it was important to discuss it, reconstruct the case, to examine and scrutinize the decisions made, the illness and diagnosis, the procedure that went wrong and ultimately ended in death. Every medical specialty hosted their own interdepartmental M&Ms after a loss, but it was surgery that was known for being the most brutal of the bunch. Internal medicine was rough and constructive. Family medicine was supportive. Psychiatry was understanding. Abbey remembered attending all of these in medical school and even then, she wondered why it was that surgeons ate their young.

As a student and later, as a resident, she was a spectator. But today, she'd be in the spotlight for the first time in her career as the death of Frank Pendleton was reviewed by her peers. It was a humiliating exercise in patience, being forced to sit there as others, with the benefit of hindsight, judged and criticized her actions.

Dressed in a dark gray tailored suit jacket, matching skirt, and a burgundy silk blouse, she took her seat and began to recount the events of the case. She presented the history in excruciating detail in a steady voice and laser-focused eyes that scanned every person in the room. Her demeanor was calm, emotionless, until she reached the postoperative hours and the error she made. Her conscience betrayed her then and her nerves of steel dissolved ever so slightly with the remorse she felt in her heart. She completed her presentation and with great reservation, she allowed for questions, fearing the most obvious one.

"Why did you send your resident home?"

That was the question she thought they'd ask. Frank's death was the result of a lethal drug interaction. He'd given a complete list of his home medications to the resident, but sick of repeating himself, he'd only provided a partial list to Abbey. Had the resident she was working with still been there, he might have intervened, might have informed Abbey of the medications left off the list. His absence was a glaring contribution to the fatal mistake and Abbey was the one blamed for sending him home because he'd been on duty for 28 hours and she felt it was unsafe for him to continue.

If only he'd stayed an hour longer, Frank may be alive today, she thought. And then, she realized that no one in that room said it. She was greeted by silence at first and then, a few gave voice to their curiosities. It was without the judgment she expected, but her feelings were still raw and she was more sensitive than usual. She reasoned it out and to her relief, not one of her peers accused her of being negligent. She fielded all the questions and answered them appropriately, turning the blame on herself as if reliving the catastrophic error she made.

When the conference was over, the room emptied quickly and Abbey remained at the table. She felt like she'd been punched in the gut, the way she did that night. She'd lost patients before, a cruel testament to the overpowering nature of fate, no matter how progressive the medicine and how skilled the surgeon. She'd never felt so responsible as she did knowing that it was her actions that led to the end of a man's life. She hadn't yet come to grips with it and today's presentation brought it all back.

The one person still in the room joined her. He sat beside her and reached out in the only way he knew how.

"We all make mistakes, you know," he said.

Abbey looked up at him. Alex Foster, her colleague, was always in her corner. "I know."

"You heard them, no one blamed you."

"Does it matter? A man still died."

"Yes, it matters."

"I disagree."

She stood and Alex followed.

"Abbey..."

"I just want to be alone right now." Her voice caught in her throat.

"You really shouldn't be alone." He grabbed her arm.

"Alex, please..."

"It's okay, Abbey," he said with a comforting voice. "Let it out. I'm here for you."

His arms around her, Abbey squirmed, uncomfortable at the invasion of her personal space. Alex made eye contact, then moved a little closer. His hand cradled the back of her head. He brought her face to his and his lips grazed hers. Abbey cranked her neck back, but he pushed forward. She twisted in his grip, shrank beneath his arm, until he was forced to let her go. She breathed hard, startled and afraid for only a moment before those emotions were replaced by anger and rage. She pulled her arm back and with stinging force, she slapped him across the face.

Alex instinctively touched his cheek, pressed his fingers to his skin to neutralize the pain. Abbey Bartlet may have been a petite woman, but hers was the most painful strike he'd ever experienced. It was also deserved, he acknowledged. He couldn't bring himself to lift his head for fear that his eyes would meet hers and she'd see the shame he felt about what he had just done. It was no secret that he had a crush. But she was a happily married woman and he never wanted to pursue another man's wife. He'd been able to suppress his feelings - until now. Something came over him. Seeing her so complicit, so vulnerable, he couldn't resist the temptation of trying to kiss her and now that it was over, he couldn't overcome the shame. He continued to avoid her gaze.

Abbey turned to leave the room. One step away and she noticed Millie standing in the doorway just as surprised as she was. Had she seen the whole thing, Abbey wondered. Had she misunderstood? Had she thought she kissed this man, that she'd betrayed her husband? Abbey couldn't bear the thought. She refused to look at either person in the room. Instead, she held her head down and rushed out. Millie took off after her.

"Abbey!" Millie shouted.

Abbey walked furiously toward the women's locker room. She shoved the door open so hard it hit the wall behind it, but that didn't stop Millie from following her inside. "I don't want to talk about it, Millie."

"Fine, don't talk about it. Just sit with me for a minute." Millie sat on the bench and left room for Abbey.

"What are you even doing here?" Abbey asked. Millie worked in Boston. It was rare to find her in Manchester in the middle of the day.

"I came up for your M&M."

"M&Ms are private, for staff only."

"Thank you for that piece of information. It's not like I haven't been a doctor longer than you," Millie teased with a grin. "I waited outside. I wanted to be in the hospital in case things got out of hand and you needed a friend. Looks like it's good I did."

"The M&M was fine."

"Yeah."

"I'm fine."

"Yeah."

"You should go back to work."

"So we're going to ignore what just happened?"

"How much did you see?"

"All of it."

"I didn't..."

"You didn't do anything wrong," Millie finished to Abbey's relief. "He made a move and you resisted. Like I said, I saw it all. And can I tell you, I'm glad you hit him first because I was about to take a swing and not with my hand and not on his face."

Abbey let out a soft, tortured chuckle at the thought of Millie taking aim at the most vulnerable area of Alex's anatomy. After the chuckle, came a sigh. "He was my friend."

"No, he wasn't. A friend wouldn't have taken advantage of you on a day like today."

"You're right."

"He put his hands on you. That's assault, even without anything else. If you hadn't pushed back when you did, who knows what he might have done."

"Yeah."

"You're going to report him to HR, aren't you? Hell, screw the hospital. You should report him to the medical board."

"One step at a time, Millie. I don't know what I want to do yet."

"You're going to report him, that's what you're going to do."

"Millie..."

"Okay, the hospital then. You should talk to Nolan. I'll come with you."

"Just give me a second, okay? The past 5 minutes have been a whirlwind. I can't even wrap my mind around it. I need one second."

"Okay," Millie said. "One..."

Abbey couldn't help but laugh as a lighthearted Millie tapped her foot. Abbey slipped her hand into hers and gave it a gentle squeeze. Thank God for Millie, she thought. She always knew exactly what Abbey needed and never hesitated to tell it like it is. After Jed, Millie was her best friend, her biggest cheerleader, and her most trusted confidante. She'd proven it yet again on that stressful day.

* * *

After her conversation with Millie, Abbey rushed back to the farmhouse. She stripped out of her clothes and jumped in the shower, desperate to rid herself of every remnant of Alex's betrayal. But it didn't help. No matter how much she scrubbed her skin, she could still feel his arms around her, his hands tangled in her hair, his lips approaching hers, touching them. Why had he done it? Was Jed right all along when he warned her that his feelings for her wouldn't allow them to be just friends? Jed. The thought of telling Jed made her sick to her stomach. Would he be angry? Would he blame her? Would he believe that she pushed him away or would he doubt, even for a second, her fidelity to him and to their marriage?

She finished her shower and wrapped herself up in a terry cloth robe. Jed had plans for them tonight; he'd told her to wear something nice, a step below cocktail attire, but he refused to tell her where they were going. She should cancel, she thought. She'd make an excuse and tell Jed she didn't feel well so they could spend the evening in and she could spill the news in private. It was tempting, so tempting that she almost resigned herself to doing it. But it nagged at her, how much Jed had been looking forward to whatever he'd planned. She didn't want to rob him of that just to keep him home and break his heart. Her confession could wait, she decided. They needed this date night, just the two of them.

Abbey had already picked out her outfit and she'd laid it on the bed before going to work that morning. She looked it at now, the red dress that always made Jed randy. It was form fitting with cap sleeves and black piping down the sides to accentuate her hourglass figure. She paired it with a white gold necklace he'd given her for her birthday last month and a white gold cuff. Remembering the chill in the air, she then rolled on a pair of black silk stockings and slipped her feet into a pair of black Manolo Blahnik stilettos, grabbed a sheer and sparkly long black cardigan, and headed downstairs to find her car keys.

Up in the skies above Manchester, Jed pressed his forehead to the oval cabin window as his plane made its final approach to the airport. A smile touched his lips at the anticipation of the night ahead. He'd planned a romantic interlude with dinner at Abbey's favorite restaurant, followed by dancing, and a special surprise she'd never suspect. He sat up straight as the aircraft touched the runway and taxied toward the terminal.

Abbey waited at the gate for him. She studied the passengers and the second she caught a glimpse of Jed's face, she darted through the crowd to reach him. He was still in his work clothes: a dark suit, white shirt, and a tie the color of his eyes. She threw her arms around his neck and Jed dropped his carryon bag to hold her, kiss her, and squeeze her so tight that he lifted her off the ground. Arms around each other's waists, they strolled together toward baggage claim.

* * *

Patsy's was an upscale New England restaurant tucked inside an old colonial inn in Bedford. Abbey loved it here, not just for the delicious food and excellent hospitality, but for the ambiance, the dancing, and the moonlit walks she and Jed often shared on the grounds after their meal. They drove up the circular drive that night and handed the keys to the valet. They held hands as they walked up the small hill to the main floor, then followed the signs to their destination. There were multiple parlors at the inn, each in adjoined buildings connected by covered pedestrian bridges that stretched from white-paneled French doors at every entrance. Each room had its own style and decor and usually, Abbey enjoyed exploring the updates and changes. But tonight, she was focused simply on dinner and hurried Jed along to make their reservation.

They were escorted to a small table beside the stone fireplace inside the restaurant, an intimate location that was somewhat removed from other patrons. Just around the corner, they heard soft music playing and they guessed that couples were already on the dance floor as they took their seats. The waiter handed them a wine list first, followed by menus. Abbey perused it quickly and set it down.

"Are you sure everything went okay today?" Jed asked.

"I told you, the M&M was fine." She'd wait until they got home to tell him about what happened with Alex. "Why?"

"You're so anxious tonight," he said.

"Not anxious; just eager."

"Eager for what?"

"To get you home, of course," she replied emphatically with a wink. He laughed.

It had been two weeks since they last saw one another and neither could wait for the physical reconnection that always followed these separations. Jed's weekend trips from Washington were fun and exciting, the sex often amazing. But tonight, for Abbey it was about more than just sex. She had to tell him about Alex, to talk through it, and process it with him. The sooner, the better, she felt. They finished dinner and dessert and Abbey was ready to hit the road without their usual walk on the grounds, but Jed hesitated as he stood up and stopped her from leaving. Abbey looked at him quizzically.

"What are you doing?"

"I want a dance."

"Jed, we can dance at home," she whispered, "naked."

"As tempting as that is, I want a real dance. Here. Just one, okay?"

Before she could answer, the music changed and the upbeat song that was playing faded into the start of Chris de Burgh's Lady In Red. Abbey cocked her head at her husband then.

"Did you plan that?"

"I really didn't." He extended his hand. "May I have this dance, my lady in red?"

Abbey couldn't deny him. How many husbands were this excited about sharing a dance with their wives? With a nod, she agreed. "Okay."

He led her to the dance floor and twirled her once until she was nestled against him, her head to his chest, her hand clasped around his. They swayed to the music, intermittently locking eyes and staring at one another.

"We haven't danced since Liz's wedding," he reminded her.

"I know."

"That night...I mean, as much as I hated the idea of letting her marry Doug, that night will always be special to me because of you."

Touched by what he'd just said, Abbey pulled back slightly to look at him. "Jed."

"I'm serious, Abbey. You were the belle of the ball and you were on my arm. I've never been more proud."

"Where is all this coming from?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. I guess the change in weather has brought out my sentimental side."

"I like it." She pulled him toward her as they continued to sway.

"Well then, this is going to knock your socks off. Remember when I proposed to you?"

"When you proposed?"

"Yeah, the night I proposed. December 1966, remember?"

"Of course I do. It was right after you turned down my proposal."

Jed chuckled at the memory. "I was planning to propose first. You knocked me off my game."

"You're so competitive."

"I'll cop to that," he said. "I'm also a liar."

"Oh?"

"I have a confession to make."

Abbey didn't know if he was being playful or serious. "About what?"

"I didn't forget your ring like I said. I have it right here." Jed reached into his pocket and pulled out her engagement ring.

"Jed!" It took Abbey only 5 seconds to realize it was different. "What is this?"

"It's your ring, with some enhancements."

"What did you do?"

"It's called an upgrade. After 20 years, I thought you deserved one. That's why I kept it in Washington the last two weeks."

"But Jed, I love my ring."

"It's still there. It's just accompanied by a bigger diamond...and a question."

"A question." It was a statement.

"With the exception of the births of our daughters, the day you married me was the best day of my life, Abbey. This July, when we celebrate our anniversary, will you marry me all over again?"

"Oh Jed." She kissed him with a tight embrace afterwards. "I love you so much."

"Is that a yes?"

"I would be honored to marry you all over again."

Abbey excitedly agreed to a vow renewal and suddenly, getting home wasn't as important, at least not for the reason it had been before. Alex was an afterthought now. She held Jed in her arms, wishing she could make this moment last forever. How she ever got so lucky to end up with such a romantic and loving man in her life she didn't know, but what she was sure about is that she'd never take him for granted. She admired her ring under the soft glow of candle light, then gave him another kiss before they resumed their dancing.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

Series: Snapshots of the Past

Story: Crossroads

Chapter 2

Disclaimer: The characters depicted in this story belong to NBC, WB, Aaron Sorkin, and John Wells. We're just borrowing them for some fun :)

Previously: Abbey's colleague, Alex, forced himself on her, but she managed to get away; Millie comforted Abbey; Jed returned to New Hampshire with a surprise for Abbey - a proposal to renew their wedding vows

Summary: Jed and Abbey start making plans for their vow renwal; Zoey gets back on her horse; Abbey tells Jed about Alex

Rated: R

* * *

Abbey opened her sleepy eyes. Her cozy bed sheets protected her from the chill of an early morning breeze that swept through the cracked window of the master bedroom. She cherished the peace and quiet of the very beginning of another day on the farm, before the cows began lowing outside, before streaks of golden sunlight lit the fields and filtered into the house, before the pitter-patter of the girls triggered panic that they'd walk in on her and Jed tangled in each others arms, naked in bed. It was in these pre-dawn moments that she reflected on the night before and the fun they'd had together.

Dinner, dancing, and a proposal. A proposal. She couldn't take her mind off it. So unexpected, so sweet and romantic. She knew Jed was a romantic at heart and that someday, they would likely renew their vows, but she assumed that would be a decision they made together; she never expected him to propose to her all over again. The first time, all those years ago, he'd teased that she ruined his plan, proposing to him first and catching him off-guard hours before he was set to pop the question. But last night, nothing compromised his vision. He took the lead from the second Abbey picked him up at the airport and the evening culminated in a moment she'd never forget.

She smiled at the memory just before she felt him stir beside her. Jed had his arm around her, snuggled in a spooning position with her back to his front. He'd fallen asleep like this after their lovemaking and he hadn't moved an inch, until now. His arm draped over her waist and rested casually on her belly. The room began to brighten as the darkness faded and the glass of the antique wall mirror directly across from her glowed with the first hint of the sun. She took advantage of the light and looked down at her finger and the diamond that sparkled larger than ever before.

"It's still there," Jed whispered to her, having the uncanny ability of knowing what was on her mind.

"I wanted to be sure it wasn't all a dream."

"It wasn't."

"No, I guess it wasn't." Abbey placed her hand over his. "I really do have the sweetest, kindest, most romantic husband in the world."

"You just figured that out?"

She laughed. "A sporadic reminder isn't bad."

"You deserve nothing but the best, Abbey." He nuzzled her neck and his hot breath sent a tingle down her spine.

"Jed." She squirmed.

"You're not nearly as tense as you were last night."

"I was tense?"

"Yeah."

"You didn't say anything."

"I assumed when you wanted to talk, you'd tell me. But you never did. So?"

"What?"

"Ready to talk about it now?"

"Talk about what?"

"Whatever was upsetting you last night."

Abbey knew exactly what he meant. Her shoulders had tensed from the second she had that unnerving encounter with Alex. Her muscles had spasmed and she massaged them under the spray of a hot shower before she left for the airport. She felt guilty not telling Jed all about it last night, but she didn't want to ruin his first night back in New Hampshire with news of Alex's lecherous behavior, and after he proposed, she couldn't stand to taint their perfect evening. Even now, she still couldn't bring herself to tell Jed. She was embarrassed. Ashamed even. She knew, deep down, that it wasn't her fault - she'd pushed him away, after all - but she battled the truth with the optics. How would it look to Jed? How would he react? Or worse, how would his reaction impact the way she viewed the incident and the blame she carried for allowing a friendship with a man who had feelings for her?

She stared at the mirror in front of her, still feeling his warm body right behind her.

"It'll keep," she said.

"You sure?"

"Yeah, it's not that important. I'll tell you all about it tonight."

"Okay."

"In the meantime..."

"In the meantime..." He kissed her shoulder and the back of her neck as he slid his arm under her and pulled her closer to him. "The kids aren't up yet."

"I know."

"Hm?"

She gasped. "Mmm hmm."

Jed's bottom hand found its way to the apex of her thighs. He rubbed her there as he continued to kiss the nape of her neck. Abbey moaned and pushed herself backwards, right into his erection. He lifted her top leg to slide it over the bottom as he penetrated her with a slow thrust. She grabbed the hand holding her at the waist and laced her fingers through his as they rocked back and forth, enjoying the intimacy of a gentle climax seconds apart.

* * *

"So? You haven't said." Jed finished his shower that morning with Abbey in the bathroom after her own shower, combing the tangles out of her wet tresses.

"Said what?"

"If you want a big church wedding with a Catholic mass or something more intimate here at the farm."

"We're already married, hon. It's not a wedding; it's a vow renewal."

"Semantics."

Abbey paused for a beat. "What would you say if I said neither?"

"What do you mean neither?"

"I don't want a church ceremony or a farm ceremony."

"You already said you'd marry again, sweet knees. I'm going to hold you to that."

"Of course I'm going to marry you again, but so soon after Liz's wedding, I'm burnt out on the bells and whistles."

"The bells and whistles are the best part!" Jed loved any excuse to put on the monkey suit. A fancy ceremony and black-tie reception would be ideal in his book.

"What do you think about eloping? Just the two of us?"

"Interesting idea."

"We could go away for our anniversary, maybe leave the country, and do it ourselves without all the hoopla."

"Keep talking."

She smiled fondly at the memories as she went on. "Maybe go back to London? Or Paris or Nice? Maybe Venice? Tuscany? All those places we used to visit as newlyweds when you were in grad school."

"And you want us to keep it a secret until afterwards?"

"Exactly. If we don't tell them, they can't weigh in and try to convince us to stay here and host a big celebration."

"I love how you think, Mrs. Bartlet." He rinsed the lather, then turned off the water. Abbey opened the curtain and handed him a towel to dry off. "One thing though. What about the girls?"

"That's the only part I hadn't figured out yet. They'll be crushed if we don't include them."

"Abigail, we are not taking our daughters on our anniversary trip."

"I know, I know. We just have to find a way to include them when we get back."

"IF we come back..." He raised a brow. "Who knows, we might discover we like being on our own, in a foreign country, with just each other to rely on."

"We already lived that chapter of our lives."

Jed tossed his towel aside, grabbed Abbey at the waist, and pulled her toward him. "We're older and wiser now. Think about it, Abbey, no children, no parenting, no responsibilities..."

"Jed, you're still wet!"

"Yeah, give a moment and you will be too."

Abbey laughed. "There's something so wrong with you."

"You love it," he said seductively, pushing the top of her terry cloth robe off her naked body. It fell to the floor and pooled at her feet.

"I really do."

"We'll buy a vineyard in the Italian countryside..." He brought his lips close.

"Where we'll renew our vows," she finished for him before they kissed.

"Now you're talking," Jed mumbled softly.

Abbey guided him toward the wall. His back against it, she lowered herself to the ground in front of him, the robe between her knees and the cold, wet tile. Jed gasped with pleasure at the touch of her hand, the way she curled her fingers and delicately gloved his erection. When her warm mouth engulfed him, he breathed even harder and had to reach for the knob to steady himself.

Weekdays in Washington were tough, but the Bartlets lived for these reunion weekends.

* * *

"I'm ready for a nap." Jed yawned. It was 9 a.m., but he was already dragging.

"I'm not surprised with the amount of energy you've exerted today."

"I've got plenty more in case you're still a little randy."

"You don't think twice is enough for one morning?"

"The word 'enough' doesn't exist in my vocabulary, particularly when it comes to you."

"Jed."

"I'm just saying, if you wanted to go again, I'm ready."

"You said you wanted a nap."

"I'll muddle through."

Abbey scoffed. "Just what a woman wants to hear."

"Don't challenge me, hot pants, or I'll take you again, right here on the kitchen table."

"You're full of promises."

A hot breakfast was the perfect starter to that busy Saturday morning. Abbey made blueberry muffins while Jed scrambled some eggs. Cooking together was one of the highlights of Jed's visits home. Growing up, his mother prepared all the family's meals by herself. The one time Jed offered to keep her company in the kitchen, his father sternly ordered him to take out the trash and return to his homework. It was a woman's job, he'd said. Jed didn't buy it, but arguing with the great John Bartlet would have led to discipline for him and a confrontation between his parents later. He spared his mother the grief, dutily obeyed his father, and he never brought it up again.

It wasn't until he met Abbey that he learned his way around a kitchen. Abbey taught him to appreciate the true art of cooking and often joked that he was now better at it than she was. They had different tastes and different styles - Abbey preferred healthy, nutritious meals while Jed was the king of comfort foods, the spicier the better. That morning, he reached for some hot sauce and just as quickly as his hand touched the bottle, Abbey pulled it away.

"Hey!"

"You're going to develop an ulcer."

"Not from a little bit of hot sauce."

"You don't need it." She returned the jar.

"I don't need a lot of things I eat anyway." He grabbed it again, this time without interference. He set it on the table, along with a stack of five plates that he separated and placed by each chair.

It was on the fifth plate that Abbey interrupted. "Jed?"

"Yeah?" It hit him then. One plate too many. "Oh."

"I still do it too."

"Yeah," he said as he returned the dish. "I'm taking Zoey riding after breakfast."

"She's not going to want to go. I tried multiple times."

"She'll do it for me."

Abbey had to admit he was right. Zoey adored her father and would do anything he told her to. "Don't push her."

"I won't. I'm just going to encourage her...strongly."

"Honey, I'm serious. That fall off Ruby really rattled her."

"It's been months, Abbey. It's time she got back to it. She was much happier when she was riding." He looked up at his wife. "Want to come with us?"

"I can't. I need to hit the market. Liz and Doug are joining us for dinner."

"They are?"

"I'm going to invite them."

"They may have other plans."

"Doubtful. They don't do much but work these days."

"Even so, what makes you think they'll accept?"

"Why wouldn't they? Liz misses us as much as we miss her. She'll jump at the chance for a nice family dinner..." She was on her way past him with a tray of muffins when she stopped to add, "and we're all going to be on our best behavior."

"You know I can't control my sarcasm with Doug."

"You can and you will."

"Excuse me, are you ordering me around? Not saying I don't like it, but..."

"Jed."

"Yeah, okay," Jed agreed. He saw Liz so rarely these days, the last thing he wanted was to argue the merits of her marriage to Doug.

"We'll make it a quick dinner."

"Is she ever going to visit us without Doug?"

"He's her husband now. She may come by without him from time to time, but we need to accept that the majority of the time we see her, she'll be with him. He's our son-in-law now."

"Don't remind me."

"You'll learn to like him."

"Until I do, can I still make fun of him in private?"

Abbey chuckled. "Knock yourself out."

* * *

Four months ago, on a cold December night, the Bartlet girls snuck out of the house for a moonlit ride. It was something they'd only done once or twice before, but it had been fun and a little exciting to gallop into the woods after dark. That night started out like the others. They bundled themselves up and headed to the barn. A pregnant Liz decided not to ride, but she didn't want to leave her sisters outside alone, so she went with them and watched from the sidelines.

She was the one who heard it first, the footstep behind the trees. She turned around and scanned the woods, but didn't see anything. She thought it might be a wild animal, maybe a bear. For a split second, she even wondered if it was a person, someone hiding on the property, maybe inside the barn. "What's wrong?" Ellie had asked her. Liz said nothing. She dismissed the sound and shouted down her fears, excusing it as a product of her overactive imagination. But then it happened again and this time, all three girls heard it. The rustling sound behind them was accompanied by a deep breath that didn't sound like an animal. Even more chilling, it sounded like a person.

Zoey craned her neck and Ruby, the pony she was riding, bucked and bolted in the opposite direction. Zoey fell hard to the ground and the last thing she remembered was Liz screaming her name. The fallout was a blurry mess to her, but somehow, the 7-year-old ended up in the emergency room with her mother. Doctors prodded at her bruised ribs, x-rays were taken, machines beeped, and she was scared. And just like that, the hobby that brought her so much joy was gone. Weeks after winning a ribbon for her exceptional equestrian skills, she walked away from the sport. At first, she was hesitant to admit it. She even asked Liz to lie for her when she took her to a riding lesson that Zoey refused to participate. But Abbey caught on, eventually, and she and Jed agreed not to confront her until some time had passed. Today, the time was right, Jed had decided.

After their family breakfast, he took Zoey outside and led her to the barn. The little girl was dressed in khaki pants, a yellow shirt, and her black riding hat. She followed her father and tried desperately to hide her apprehension. She worshipped Jed. He was her king since the day she was born. She'd never seen him scared, not a day of her life. She wanted to be just like him, as courageous and strong as he was; what's more, she didn't want to disappoint him. If he wanted her to go for a ride, she would mentally prepare herself to do it. At least, that's what she kept wishing. When they arrived at the barn, Jed took Ruby out of her stall and Zoey backed away.

Jed glanced down at her and his heart melted. She used to hide behind her parents when she was a toddler and scared of something in sight, but he hadn't seen that look in years. Zoey was fearless and brave, unfazed by things that usually scared her sisters.

He knelt down in front of her. "I know you can do this, but you need to know that too."

"I do."

"You don't have to put on a show for me, Zoey."

"I'm not."

"If you're scared, even a little, I want us to talk about it."

Zoey thought about it for a moment, then replied, "I'm not scared, not even a little. I wanna do it."

"Are you sure?"

She nodded. "Yeah."

"Okay." Jed walked the Ruby out of the barn with Zoey just behind them. "I'm going to be right here, okay?"

"Okay."

He lifted her up and put her on the pony and Zoey immediately took the reins.

Abbey spotted her from the house and looked on with pride as she watched Zoey take charge of Ruby. The wind blew through her fine, strawberry hair, her ponytail bounced behind her. She didn't look frightened or uncomfortable; she looked like her old self, the same Zoey who used to beg and plead to spend every free weekend riding, the one who loved to compete at equestrian shows and dedicated her allowance to a display box for her very first ribbon. She was riding again and there was no better sight than seeing her doing it so confidently.

If anyone could get Zoey back on her horse, of course it would be Jed, Abbey thought as she left the house and approached her husband.

"Hey."

"Hey," Jed greeted her with a quick smile before turning his attention back to Zoey. "Isn't she great?"

"As great as her father," Abbey replied, her heart swelling with love for him. "I have to hand it to you, you were right about getting her out there again."

"It's not too late to join her."

Abbey dismissed the idea. "Not today."

"Why not? You could get changed and on the horse in 10 minutes."

"You just want to leer at me in my jodhpurs."

"You're my wife; I'm allowed to leer."

Lost in their conversation, they didn't notice the clouds moving in with the gust of wind that followed. The rumble of thunder caused Ruby's ears to sway back and forth. She was anxious, trembling. She leaned back, scaring Zoey. The little girl grabbed on tight, concerned that she would fall all over again. It was the strike of lightning that alerted Jed and Abbey. They both looked to see Ruby escalating and Zoey frozen with fear.

"We're here, Zo. Calm her down," Abbey called out as she took a few steps toward them.

Her mother's presence reassured Zoey. She calmed herself, then pulled on the reins and petted the pony softly. "It's okay, Ruby. It's okay."

Ruby eventually settled and Abbey breathed a sigh of relief. "I think that's enough for today."

"Yeah, Mom's right. Let's get Ruby back to the barn before it starts pouring."

Zoey didn't argue. She may have taken the first step, but she knew she wasn't ready to go back to riding. She couldn't wait to get off her pony, so when Jed extended his arms to help her dismount, she practically jumped into his embrace. Then, she put on a brave face for her father.

"I wasn't scared, Daddy!" she said. "It was fun!"

"You never get scared, do you?"

"Uh uh!"

"That's my girl!"

Jed raced her to the house while Abbey returned Ruby to the barn.

* * *

Grocery shopping used to be a task that Jed enjoyed. He always took the girls with him and without fail, they predictably splintered off the second they walked into the store. Ellie sprinted toward the snack aisle, Zoey stayed with her father and rode on the front of the cart, and Liz headed to the checkout lane to browse the latest issue of Cosmo, Seventeen, and Vogue while her father shopped. The girls had conspired and mastered a plan. All three would wait until Jed approached the checkout and began unloading the cart. Like clockwork, they'd casually drop their own items on the belt, Zoey and Ellie first, then Liz so her magazine could cover and conceal her sisters' items. Jed was wise to their game, but he pretended to be shocked when the clerk rang up the things the girls snuck by him. He'd make a big show of giving in to make them happy. Their smiles as they returned to the car was his reward for feigning ignorance and allowing the manipulation to continue with every shopping trip they took.

It was a different story with Abbey. The girls quickly learned that when she was in charge of the shopping, they wouldn't get their way.

"I don't understand what you have against Oreos!" Ellie grumbled that afternoon as she and her mother carried two large brown paper bags to the kitchen.

Jed sat at the kitchen table, his glasses perched on his nose from reading the paper. He looked up over the rims with a grin when Abbey and Ellie marched in.

"It's not that I have anything against them per se; it's what they do to your teeth."

"My teeth couldn't be more healthy!"

"And I want to keep it that way."

"Another successful shopping trip, I see," Jed quipped as he folded his paper and rose to his feet.

"Dad, will you talk to her?"

"Sorry, princess. I don't interfere when your mom's in doctor mode."

"Then I should tell her about the secret bag of cookies you have stashed behind the salt in the pantry."

Abbey glared at her husband.

"It's only for emergencies," Jed explained to her before turning to Ellie. "You're in big trouble, missy. Ratting out your own father is not cool."

"Will you talk to her? It's spring break. If I'm going to have people over, they expect junk food."

"I don't remember you asking to have people over?"

"Can I have people over?"

"When?" Abbey asked.

"Tomorrow night."

"Who?"

"Emma and Lucy for a slumber party. Is that okay?"

"Yes," Abbey told her. "And I'll make a nice fruit and veggie spread."

"Mom!"

"All right, all right, make a shopping list and I'll take you back to the store tomorrow for a couple of snacks. But I'll tell you now, that'll be it until summer."

"Can Dad take me instead?" The sneaky blonde had a mischievous sparkle in her eye.

"Don't push your luck."

"It was worth a shot."

She flashed a thankful smile, then turned and sprinted upstairs while Jed helped Abbey put the rest of the groceries away.

"You agreed to a Sunday night slumber party?" Jed questioned.

"Sure. It's spring break."

"Not for us."

"You sleep through anything."

"Yeah, but you don't. And you're in the OR before dawn on Mondays. Are you in clinic this week?"

"No."

"So you're in the OR?"

"I was thinking about taking the day off."

"Really?"

"What's wrong with that?"

"Nothing. It's just that you always say you can't take a day off on the spur of the moment. Patients have to be bumped and on Mondays, surgeries get bumped."

"Well then, they get bumped. That's what happens."

That didn't sound like Abbey at all. Jed looked at her, his face creased with lines of worry.

"Abbey, what's going on?"

Abbey paused then, a box cereal in her hand. Her eyes met his and she said, "I can't get into it now."

"Why?" Jed took the box from her and put it in the pantry.

"I want us to enjoy dinner without anything getting in the way."

"What would get in the way?" he asked. "You're scaring me here."

"I'm sorry, honey. I don't mean to scare you. It's not that serious. It's just a longer conversation and I'd like to have it tonight when it's just us. Okay?"

"You're all right?"

"I promise." She kissed his cheek. "Now, let's come up with neutral topics of conversation to welcome our new son-in-law to the family."

Confused about the way she sidestepped the question once again, Jed swallowed his objection and moved on. This was a discussion they'd revisit later.

* * *

From the time she was a little girl, Elizabeth Bartlet dreamed of the day she could return home with her husband and spend an evening with her parents as an adult, an equal of sorts. That day was finally here and it was a sobering realization that she wasn't an equal. She was still a little girl in their eyes and she likely would be for the rest of her life. As she and Doug parked the car on the gravel drive and made their way up the walk and toward the porch steps, she slowed her stride.

"Liz?" Doug turned behind him to see his wife training. He called out to her when he stopped just short of the stairs. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong...yet. I want tonight to be perfect and I'm afraid it's not going to be."

"Why, because of me?"

"Not just you. But when you and my father are in the same room, there's this tension between you. I can't stand it; it makes me queasy. Every time."

"What can I do? He picks on me about everything."

"He doesn't mean to. He's nice..."

"To you and your sisters, yeah..."

"To everyone. He's a good man, Doug, if you'd just get to know him."

"He won't let me get to know him."

"Then let him get to know you. The real you. Don't get snarky with him. Lose the smartass comebacks and treat him like you treat your own father. He'll respond to that."

Inside the farmhouse, Jed snuck a peek out of the side window. Oh, how he was dreading this evening. He couldn't stand Doug and having to bite his tongue over dinner made him want to vomit. He'd never understand what Liz saw in him and he'd given up trying. He watched their body language, saw Liz's hand gestures, those very gestures she always used when she spoke about something with conviction.

"Jed, stop snooping," Abbey admonished him.

"She's telling him to be more respectful of us."

"How do you know?"

"A father knows."

"Maybe it'll be a new beginning."

"Assuming he listens and follows through."

"And assuming you get the smirk off your face."

"I don't smirk."

"You smirk, Jed. Don't do it tonight. Let's have a nice dinner."

"As long as Doug doesn't cross the line..."

"And if he does, exercise a little restraint."

"I make no promises."

Abbey opened the front door to greet them. "Lizzie?"

"Mom." Liz hugged her mother and stepped inside. "As if I didn't just see you last week."

"A week is too long between visits, baby doll."

"Mrs. Bartlet," Doug said.

"You're part of the family now, Doug. You can call me Abbey."

Jed felt his limbs tense with that suggestion. He gave a tight smile and shook Doug's hand.

* * *

"I hate him."

"You do not hate him."

"Want to bet me I hate him?" Jed circled around the bedroom after the Westins left later that night. He unbuttoned his shirt, took off his pants, folded them over and tossed them aside.

"He's young and stupid," Abbey said from the bathroom, where she unpinned her hair and brushed out her auburn tresses in preparation for bed.

"No, Abbey. I was young a stupid. His stupidity is organic. It's not going to change as he ages." He pulled down the covers. "All that crap about not having yet found his calling. You're about to be a father, dumbass. That means you take whatever job comes your way to support your family."

"He did take a job. Two, as a matter of fact. So he's quitting one. It's only until he graduates college. They'll be fine."

"HE graduates college. What about Liz? She's never going back?"

"It's too late to have this conversation again."

"I'm just saying, they can't afford to be picky about jobs."

Abbey reappeared from the bathroom, rubbing her hands together to blend the lotion she'd just poured into her palm. "He could always work for you."

"Absolutely not! He'd add nothing to the office and he'd distract Liz."

"You've got me there."

Jed held out his hands so that Abbey could massage the remnants of lotion into his skin. "Speaking of distractions, you've been avoiding telling me something all day."

"I guess I have."

"You said you'd tell me tonight. I'm listening now." He was curious and he wasn't going to let her skirt the issue a third time. His stare remained fixed on her as she let go of his hands. "Abbey?"

"Give me a second. I have to get my mind going in that direction again."

"What direction is that?"

Another pause and she saw Jed grow impatient. She finally admitted, "You were right about Alex. He made a pass at me."

"He what?"

"Don't make me say it again."

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I am. I took care of it."

"What does that mean?"

"It means it's over. We're no longer friends. I made it clear, in no uncertain terms."

"What did he do?"

"If I tell you, I want us to have a discussion about it. I don't want you to fly off the handle. Deal?"

"I have to promise you what my reaction will be before you'll tell me what that creep did to you?" Jed shook his head. "Abbey..."

"I know..." she relented. "That's not fair."

"No, it's not."

"He tried to kiss me," she blurted out.

Jed clenched his fist at his side. "I'm going to kill him!"

"I pushed him away."

"I'm still going to kill him!"

"Jed, stop. This kind of thing doesn't help."

"What kind of thing?"

"Your response. I'm trying to hold it together and you're not making it any easier."

"You're telling me that another man tried to kiss you. Excuse me for being alarmed."

"It's fine to be alarmed."

"Then what isn't 'fine'?"

"I don't know. I just can't..."

There was a tremble in her voice.

"Abbey, what aren't you telling me?"

"Nothing." She meant it too. Alex pushed himself on her, but Abbey hadn't completely processed it yet. The encounter shook her and she couldn't explain why.

"Hey." Jed approached her. He placed his firm and gentle hands on her upper arms and looked her in the eyes. "It's me. You can tell me anything."

"I know."

"Do you?"

"Yes, I truly do."

"Did he hurt you?"

"No, he didn't. I'm fine, Jed, I swear it. I just want to forget about it. Our friendship is over and I feel like such a fool."

"You're not a fool for trusting someone."

"I should have listened to you. You called it from the start."

"Only because I know how the male mind works, especially in the company of such a beautiful woman." He pulled her into his arms. "I'm sorry. I wish I'd been wrong."

"I wish you had been too."

Enveloped in his embrace, Abbey felt safe and sound. Eventually, she'd have to tell him that Alex made more than a pass, that he'd violated her personal space and put his hands on her, even used force to prevent her resistance. She minimized the encounter, told Jed only the bare minimum. But the truth was, seeing Alex like that and feeling his strong arms on her body, affected her more than she let on. She was terrified of seeing him again and she prayed that if she did, she wouldn't be alone.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

Series: Snapshots of the Past

Story: Crossroads

Chapter 3

Disclaimer: The characters depicted in this story belong to NBC, WB, Aaron Sorkin, and John Wells. We're just borrowing them for some fun :)

Previously: Zoey got back on her horse to impress Jed; Abbey told Jed that Alex tried to kiss her, but minimized the incident and aftermath

Summary: Alex worms his way between Jed and Abbey and wreaks havoc on a night that was supposed to be special for the Bartlets

* * *

Jed pulled into the gravel drive at the entrance of the farm. He drove up the hill and toward the house, a smile on his face as he looked out into the distance and saw Zoey outside the garage. She was in shorts and a tee; the white zippered sweatshirt Abbey made her take with her was crumpled on the ground beside her. Her strawberry blonde ponytail bounced in the breeze as she hopped up and down on the concrete. The girls played hopscotch there on lazy spring days and that's what Jed guessed Zoey and her friends were doing now. He gave a light beep of the horn and parked to the side to avoid disrupting them.

"Hi Daddy!" Zoey waved.

"Hey munchkin." Jed acknowledged her, then moved on to her friends. "Cindy and..." he paused and the girls giggled. "Don't tell me, don't tell me." Another beat before he looked at Zoey's red-headed friend. "You must be Louise!"

"Louise?" The little girl scrunched her face. "No."

"No? Irene?"

"No!" She laughed.

"Are you sure? You look like an Irene."

"I'm not Irene!"

"Tiffany?"

"I'm Audrey!"

"Audrey! Yes! That was going to be my next guess!"

"Daddy, you're so bad with names!"

"Yes, yes, I am, Ellie."

"I'm ZOEY!" Zoey exclaimed as her friends laughed.

"Right, Zoey. Now which one of you is Cindy again?"

"Dad..."

"You girls having fun?"

"Uh huh!" Zoey assured him they were. "Wanna play with us?"

Jed glanced at his watch. "I'd love to, but it'll have to wait for some other time. We're running late already. Mom in the house?"

She nodded. "I think she's mad at you though."

"Yeah, I'm in the dog house." He dropped a kiss to her forehead.

"What did you do?"

"Arranged a date night. You and Ellie get to sleep over at Grandma's tonight. We'll drop Audrey and Cindy off on the way."

"Okay, but what did you do?"

"I told you, arranged a date night."

"That's it?"

"It doesn't take much, sweetheart."

Jed grabbed his briefcase, closed the car door, and headed up the steps into the house. He looked down the hall and didn't see Abbey. He whispered her name, not really wanting his voice to be heard, then tossed his briefcase, stripped off his jacket to hang over his arm, and took soft, gentle steps upstairs. He budgeted 10 minutes for a quick shower and hoped to squeeze it in before Abbey found him.

He was out of luck.

"Freeze, Bartlet!" Standing at the foot of the stairs, she caught him on the final step to the top.

"There you are. I was looking for you."

"No, you weren't."

"No, I wasn't."

"Well?" She folded her arms in front of her chest.

"You want to start?"

"I told you I didn't want to go to the hospital gala."

"Yes, you did."

"And you totally disregarded my opinion."

"Yes, I did."

"That's all you have to say?"

"No, I have more." He loosened his tie. "But I also need a shower, so if you want to follow me up..." He turned his back to her to take the last step up and heard her right behind him. "I didn't totally disregard your opinion."

"You just said you did."

"I said that because you're so damn cute when you're mad at me."

"You're not funny." She was on his heels as they entered the master bedroom.

"Zoey and her friends think I am."

"Jed."

He faced her again. "Abbey, I want us to go to the gala."

"I don't."

"That's exactly why I do." He took her hand. "Honey, I don't want you to be afraid to face that creep Alex."

"I'm not afraid."

"No? Because I'm pretty sure you're avoiding him and he's the reason you don't want to go tonight."

"So what if he is? I don't want the awkwardness."

"But eventually, you're going to see him again. You're going to come face-to-face with him at the hospital. I'd prefer I be there with you the first time it happens."

"Why, so you can knock him out?"

"No," he quickly replied. "I mean, I won't promise I won't knock him out, but that's not why. I want to be there because I want him to see us together, to see how happy we are, how committed we are to each other, to realize that no matter how many times he tries to kiss you, he will never succeed."

"You want to one-up him."

"How did you get one-upmanship from that?"

"That's what it is, isn't it? A penis contest with me as the prize."

Now wearing only his boxers, he raised his brows at her. "You're always my prize, sweet knees."

"Do I look amused?"

"No, you don't," he admitted. "Okay, new plan. I already booked a night at the hotel. What do you say we drop the girls off and check in to our suite? If we decide to go to the gala, it's right downstairs. If we decide to skip it, we can spend the evening eating chocolate-covered strawberries and burning off the calories between the sheets?"

"I don't know."

"Come on, Abbey. We haven't spent a night without the girls since Valentine's Day."

Her expression softened as she contemplated the compromise. "All right, I guess it would be fun."

He gave her a kiss on the lips. "Your parents are expecting the girls in an hour."

"It'll take more than an hour to get into Boston this time of day and that's if we left right now."

"Then we better get a move on."

"You're not out of trouble."

"I'd be disappointed if I was, doll face." He flashed a smile on his way to the bathroom.

* * *

"It's about two friends who go on a hike in the Alaskan forest. They hike up into the Arctic Circle and cross the sand dunes..."

Stretched out on her parents' bed a short time later, Ellie rested her elbows on the mattress and swung her legs in the air behind her. She flipped through her book while occasionally looking up to see her mother darting around the room to pack a small suitcase. Jed and Abbey prided themselves on raising their daughters to enjoy books. Ellie distinctly remembered Liz and Abbey discussing plot points in _Wuthering Heights_ when it was assigned to Liz in high school and no matter how hard she tried to be a part of the conversation, she was just too young to understand the nuances of the novel. Even now, as a budding teenager, the lure of the romance genre was lost on her. Abbey and Liz shared a love for the complexities of relationships while Ellie was drawn to adventure.

"And they get lost?"

"Yeah, they almost died."

"So what happened?"

"I'll ruin it for you. Don't you want to read it?"

"Maybe, if I ever find the time."

"You used to read before bed."

"That tends not to happen when your father's home."

"Abbey!" Jed hollered from down the hall.

"Five more minutes!" Abbey hollered back. She ignored the impatient grumble she heard in response. Jed had a habit of lying to her when they went somewhere. Knowing that she usually spent a minimum of two hours getting ready for a night out, he'd give her an earlier time so that when she inevitably ran late, there was no fear of missing their reservations. She was on to this little trick.

"We're so late!" he said as he emerged in the doorway.

"Not for a night in."

"Abbey."

"Jed, relax."

"What can I do to get you out the door more quickly?"

"Anything besides hover over me."

"I don't hover!" He spotted the suitcase on the bed then. "You understand we're only going overnight, right?"

She shrugged. "Yeah."

"You couldn't bring a duffle bag?"

"I can't pack my dress in a duffle bag and I don't want to change into it until we get to the hotel."

"So carry it in a garment bag."

"I plan to, but there are things I need."

Jed then noticed a number of small pink satin bags tucked between her clothes. He walked around her and reached for the first one. He inspected it quizzically. "Like these? What the hell are these?"

Abbey grabbed the bag and pulled out a glittery shoe. "The heels I want to wear tonight."

"Why can't you wear the heels you have on now?"

She glanced down at the black pumps she forgot she was wearing. "Are you kidding? These are work pumps, Jed; not exactly appropriate for cocktail or evening wear attire."

"What was I thinking?" His sarcasm didn't stop there. Jed picked up another pink bag and pulled out a pair of flats. "These are for what exactly?"

"Those are for when my feet hurt from the other shoes."

"Right, should have known." He reached for a third bag. This time, he pulled out a pair of slippers. "And these are for..."

"Hotel lounging."

"Of course."

"If I wake up at 3 a.m. and want ice, I don't want to trek around barefoot," Abbey explained.

Jed moved on to last bag. "Sneakers?"

"In case I go for a run along the harbor in the morning."

"Babycakes, if tonight goes the way I plan, you'll be way too sore to run in the morning."

"UGH!" Ellie screeched.

Reminded of her presence, Abbey blushed and Jed cleared his throat.

"Ellie, don't you have somewhere else to be?" he asked. "Like maybe in your own room packing your bag for Grandma's?"

"It's already packed."

"Then load it in the car."

"Not until I find out why I can't babysit."

"You can't babysit because we are not leaving you girls home alone overnight. Now do me a favor and help Zoey get her bag downstairs."

"Can I babysit the next time you guys go out if it's not overnight?"

"Yes."

Abbey turned her glare toward him. "Jed..."

"I meant your mother and I will talk about it and come to a decision together. Now go help your sister."

"I like the first answer better," she mumbled on her way out.

As Ellie disappeared down the hall, Abbey examined her closet. "That reminds me, I should bring my tan sandals."

"This is my little bit of punishment, isn't it?" Jed asked her.

"What is?"

"Your shoe dilemma from hell. It's my punishment for taking you to the gala after you told me you didn't want to go."

"Don't be ridiculous."

"It's passive aggressive."

"I'm sorry, darling, I wasn't trying to be passive."

He chuckled. "Your sassiness, however, is hot as hell."

"We'll see what you think in 10 minutes."

"No 10 minutes!" Jed pulled her by the waist. "Get over here, my sweet."

He kissed her and she kissed him back.

"I thought we were late," she muttered as their lips slowly parted.

"We are, which is why I'm giving you a choice."

"A choice?"

"That's right. You can either walk out that door with me right now or I'll hoist you over my shoulder and carry you downstairs."

"It's cute how you think that'll motivate me to rush."

Just as she predicted, that little challenge raised Jed's competitive spirit. He flashed a mischievous smile, then, in one swift motion, he grabbed her at the legs and hurled her over his right shoulder. Abbey's feigned scream of protest melted into laughter as he smacked her on the rear and headed down the stairs.

* * *

The Regency Grand towered over the Boston harbor as a historic five-star hotel on Rowes Wharf. Jed stood by the window in the Bartlet's suite and stared out at the reflection of the city lights dancing in the soft waves of the water. He was a New Hampshire man at heart, but he had to admit, Boston had a lure. He felt it when Abbey was in medical school at Harvard. Those nights he took Lizzie for ice cream and a walk along the river were still engraved in his memory bank, but it was the nights he swept Abbey off her feet after a big exam or long day on the wards and treated her to a date night in the city that were among his most cherished memories.

He hoped to make similar memories tonight.

"Abbey," he called out for her, still entranced in the view at the window.

"I'm ready. I just need to be zipped." She stood before him in a black beaded dress with a low V-neck that showed off her cleavage and hugged all the curves of her body. She turned around and he stole a glance at the black thong she wore, the sexy dip in her bare back, and the black straps that crisscrossed at her waist and attached to her bra, the front of which barely contained her breasts.

He zipped her up slowly, taking the time to admire every inch of the dress that had quickly become his favorite as he realized the low-cut neckline was nothing compared to the almost scandalous low-cut back. Now he understood why her bra straps were so low. "Every now and then, I have to pinch myself."

"Hm?"

"To remind myself this is not a dream. You really did pick me." He turned her back around and that's when he saw the flirtatious smile on her face, framed by her shiny auburn locks.

"You know, we could always skip the stuffy party and stay here tonight." She arched her brow suggestively.

"Ah, so that's why you wanted me to zip you. You're trying to seduce me."

"No, I wanted you to zip me because I actually needed to be zipped."

"But..."

"What's the harm in giving you a preview of what's to come? I bet, on our way down to the ballroom, we could do the stopped elevator thing and no one would even notice."

"You're such a little minx."

"This morning, I was a vamp."

"Vamp, minx, same thing." He pulled her close. "The bottom line is, you're my little seductress."

She looked into his eyes. Those soft baby blues that stared back at her, so loving and supportive. They positively twinkled between his long brown lashes. She'd told him before that his brain was what made her fall in love with him, but she never denied that it was his face that attracted her from day one. God, he was handsome. As he stood there in his tuxedo, she reveled in the fact that he was all hers.

"Want to know something?" she asked.

"What's that?"

"Sometimes, I have to pinch myself too."

Abbey framed his face between her hands and pressed her lips to his.

* * *

The hospital's annual spring gala was a combined fundraiser and banquet. Jed and Abbey tried to attend most years, but Jed understood Abbey's hesitation this year. She didn't want to face Alex and truth be told, neither did Jed. He'd wrestled with the scenario multiple times since he learned about what happened. If he saw Alex, he'd walk away, he decided. But if Alex approached, all bets were off. Sometimes, he fantasized about decking him. Then reality would hit and he'd remember that deep down, he wasn't a violent man. He'd convinced himself that a physical confrontation would only be the product of a threat and he hoped he'd never be put in the position of testing himself.

When the Bartlets entered the hotel's ballroom for dinner that night, Abbey scanned the crowd and spotted Alex at a table in the back. He sat with some of their colleagues. Their eyes locked and for a brief moment that seemed like an eternity, Abbey felt a wave of nausea, replaced immediately by a fiery anger that bubbled to the surface. Jed saw it on her face, felt it when her hands stiffened as he held them. Her expression changed and she gestured with her chin. He followed her gaze across the room, one step forward and ready to take off on a mission toward the lecherous man he hadn't trusted from the start. Abbey held his hand tighter then and placed her other hand on his arm in a successful effort to stop him. He let out a deep breath and followed her to their table at the front of the room.

A plated four-course meal preceded a short awards ceremony. Abbey barely ate. She mingled with their table mates, all physicians she already knew, but Jed took note of her discomfort. They had signals. After 20 years of marriage and countless dinner parties, campaign fundraisers, congressional balls, and hospital benefits, they'd perfected subtle ways of getting each other's attention with private signals, secrets from the rest of the world. A word they'd slip in to a conversation they needed to be rescued from, an action to alert the other that it was time to go home; these were signals that only they'd recognize.

That evening, Abbey tucked her hair behind her ear and fingered her diamond earring, a sign that she wanted leave. Jed looked the other way. She ran her shoe up his leg under the table, but he ignored it. Miffed and annoyed, she leaned in to take a more direct approach.

She whispered in his ear. "Let's go."

"We can't leave now. Rob's on stage, He's about to do awards," he whispered back before returning his attention to Robert Nolan, chair of surgery and Abbey's longtime friend. He'd taken the platform at the front of the room.

"Jed, I really want to go."

"Ten more minutes, I promise."

"...it's the job of every one of us to teach them and groom them to become doctors," Nolan was saying.

He referred to the hundreds of residents who worked at the hospital. Ordinarily, Abbey would have been listening, but this was difficult for her. She'd been a resident advocate for so long. She'd protected them, spoken out on their behalf, and in the end, it was through her shortsightedness in sending a tired resident home that a patient died on her watch. She felt she did the right thing, but so many judged. It was their judgment that led to the morbidity and mortality conference last week and the incident with Alex afterwards.

Alex.

She remembered the way he grabbed her. The way he tried to force his mouth on hers. The way he held her, tight and fierce, as if he was bound and determined to leave his fingerprints in her flesh. She'd never forget how that felt. The shock of his strength, the disgusting smell of his cologne, the feeling of vulnerability that rendered her completely helpless. It was the memory of that vulnerability that overshadowed everything else. Even the surge of adrenaline that helped her push him away and slap him across the face couldn't compare to the fear and the humiliation of those few seconds when she was at his mercy. Her stomach flipped every time she thought about it. She couldn't settle her nerves. Her eyes found Alex repeatedly that night, and she worried about the scene that would follow if he approached. All Jed knew was that he tried to kiss her, but how would he react if he found out the whole story? Part of her wished she'd told him. Maybe if she had, he wouldn't be so calm right now, sitting in the same room as Alex. She stared at her husband again, more annoyed than before.

"Since when have you been interested in this?" she growled.

"Shh."

Miffed at his nonchalant attitude, Abbey looked around the ballroom and planned her exit.

"Every year, we like to recognize one attending for his or her invaluable contribution to resident education. This award is voted on by the residents themselves..."

Jed saw Abbey impatiently fidgeting. "It's almost over."

He gently placed a hand on her arm to keep her at the table.

"And this year, I have to say, I couldn't agree more with their selection of a physician whose talent, work ethic, compassion, and bedside manner have served as an inspiration since the first day I met her. She is dedicated to her patients, to her colleagues, and to producing the best surgeons New England has ever seen. It's my pleasure to present this year's Faculty Teaching Award to my friend, Dr. Abigail Bartlet."

Jed was the first to jump to his feet as the audience exploded in applause. A surprised Abbey slowly rose from her chair and made her way toward Robert who had a sterling silver tray, engraved with her name, ready for her. She accepted it, honored and humbled by what it stood for and by the people who had chosen to celebrate her.

For the next few minutes, Alex was the furthest thing from her mind.

* * *

"You conspired against me."

Abbey cornered Jed after dinner. They'd retreated outside to the balcony for some privacy and he leaned his back against the railing, holding her in his arms.

"Guilty as charged," he confessed. "When Rob called to tell me you won the award, I agreed to get you here no matter what it took."

"You could have just told me, you know."

"I was blatantly forbidden from doing that. It was supposed to be a surprise and judging from your expression when they called your name, it was a shining success."

"What if I had refused to come?"

"I was going to get you here one way or another, babe. You needed this."

"Needed what? An award?"

"No, what it stands for. The recognition. You're the biggest advocate for the residents. You stand up for them when the rest of the world doesn't give a damn. You need to know how appreciated you are, even if they don't always tell you."

The emotional toll Abbey's hard work took on her hadn't been lost on Jed. It was Abbey who fought for humane work hours for the residents, despite criticism from her colleagues and even the residents themselves who were often shut out of cases because they'd logged 30 consecutive hours on duty. Jed was the one who constantly reassured her that she was doing the right thing when the residents turned on her, when her colleagues vehemently disagreed with her and she felt so alone in her fight. Her work wasn't done, but the residents' recognition proved that they supported her more than she knew. Jed wasn't about to let her miss it.

He looked at her adoringly as his hands slipped to the curve of her rear.

"You're an incredible man, Jed Bartlet."

"Does this mean I'm not in trouble anymore?"

"Depends."

"On what?"

"How long it takes you to get me out of this place and up to our room."

"Hm, a race against the clock."

"I see you're in no hurry."

"I kind of like the idea of being in trouble."

"I promise you'll like your reward a lot better." She leaned in and said seductively, "Especially now that you're a little tipsy."

"I am not tipsy."

"You're right, you're drunk."

"I am not drunk."

"Damn, and here I was planning to take advantage of you."

"Okay, maybe I'm a little drunk." He kissed her as she giggled. "Let me pay our tab and we'll be on our way."

He disappeared behind the French doors as Abbey took a sip of her brandy. She turned her back and looked out at the view of the harbor and the Boston skyline above. A light breeze fanned her hair out of her face. From behind, she looked beautiful, like an angel leaning forward over the rail with tendrils of her auburn locks illuminated by the lights and blowing backwards in the wind.

Alex paused and stared before he quietly approached.

"Abbey."

He startled her.

Abbey dropped her glass over the balcony and watched it break into a million pieces on the pier down below. She spun around to face him. "Jed's right around the corner."

"I know, but I needed to talk to you. How could you file a sexual assault report with HR?"

"What did you expect me to do?"

"I didn't sexually assault you."

"Really? You grabbed me, you forced your mouth on me, you squeezed my..." she trailed off, unable to finish that statement. "The law defines any behavior of a sexual nature without explicit consent to be sexual assault."

"The law? What the...Abbey, we're friends!"

"You groped me, Alex! How can we be friends after that?"

She cut herself off when she saw Jed behind the glass. He turned the knob with a fury and let himself out.

"Get away from her!" he shouted at Alex as he jumped in front of Abbey.

"Jed, it's okay," Abbey assured him. "He just got here. I'm handling it."

Alex kept his eyes on Abbey. "You're the one who assaulted ME, Abbey. You slapped me."

"Consider yourself lucky that's all I did."

Jed looked at his wife, confused. "You slapped him?"

"That day."

"Jed doesn't know?" Alex asked.

"Know what exactly?" Jed questioned, his attention split between Alex and Abbey.

"He knows the important part," Abbey said.

"But not everything?" Alex laughed in a mocking sort of way. "Wait a minute, what I did was so traumatizing that you had to file charges with HR, but not traumatizing enough to tell your own husband the whole story?"

Jed was more confused now. "Charges? Abbey, what the hell is going on?"

Desperately fighting for his reputation, Alex took advantage of Jed's ignorance of the incident. "What's the matter, Abbey? Were you afraid of what else would come out?"

"What?" she asked him.

"It makes sense, right? You couldn't very well tell him the details of our encounter without admitting to all the times you LET me kiss you."

That accusation outraged Abbey. "What are you talking about?"

"The times you let me touch you? Did you tell Jed about that?"

"You son of a bitch!" Jed lunged for him.

Before he took his first swing, Abbey grabbed her husband's arm to stop him. There was a part of her that wanted Jed to give Alex exactly what he deserved. But the calmer, more sensible side took over. She now knew that Alex was vengeful enough to strike back and the last thing she wanted was for Jed to bare the brunt of his retaliation, whether it was tonight on that chilly balcony overlooking the harbor, or tomorrow, in the newspaper, after Alex filed criminal charges against him. She couldn't take that chance.

It took all her strength to hold Jed back. Her eyes on Alex, she pleaded, "Alex, don't do this."

"Do what? Tell him the truth? One of us has to," Alex spat out bitterly. He addressed Jed then. "You want the whole story, Jed? Last week wasn't the first time I kissed her. It wasn't the first time I had my hands on her ass!"

Jed summoned his strength and jerked out of Abbey's hold. With all the force inside him, he pulled his hand back and decked Alex. That punch had been a long time coming and something about it was cathartic for Jed. Short of breath and his face burning red, he took a beat before he lurched forward again. This time, he allowed Abbey's intervention.

"Jed stop! He's not worth it!" she yelled as she looked him in the eye. "Let's go. Please, let's just go!"

He took one long last look at Alex before he and Abbey stormed back into the ballroom and out the exit. Abbey mumbled something, but Jed wasn't listening. He didn't even look at her. He breathed hard, rapid breaths. His rage churned inside him. He felt like he'd been punched in the gut and he was about to burst. He used every ounce of strength inside him to keep himself together as they turned the corner toward the elevator.

Abbey kept talking, something about his hand. He didn't acknowledge it. She touched him, but he shrugged her off without so much as a glance. He didn't want to be touched. He didn't want to be comforted or consoled. All he wanted in that moment was to know all the things he didn't. Why hadn't Abbey told him the whole story? Why had she spared him the details? And what else was she keeping from him?

The elevator ride was a silent one and when the doors opened and they stepped out, Abbey picked through her clutch for the key to their room. She fumbled with it before the lock clicked and she opened the door.

"We need some ice for your hand," she said as she traded her clutch for the ice bucket and started back out the door.

"I don't need ice."

"It's going to swell."

"I don't need any damn ice!" he exploded. Abbey expected that, he guessed, because she didn't even move. She knew him well enough to know he was rattled. She never lifted her gaze from the floor. He waited several seconds, then asked, "What happened last week?"

"He tried to kiss me."

"And?"

"I got away from him and I hit him. Okay?" Her voice was strong, unwavering.

"Did he hit you?"

"No."

"Did he hurt you in any way?"

"No, I swear."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I did."

"Not everything. Not these details. Even the part you did tell me, you didn't even tell me when it happened. You waited a day."

"It's not the easiest thing to talk about. No woman wants to come home and tell her husband that another man made a pass at her."

"Did you think I would say it was your fault? Because I wouldn't."

"I know you wouldn't."

"Did you think I'd blame you for hitting him? I wouldn't do that either. Hell, I'd celebrate you for hitting him! I'd throw you a damn parade for hitting him! I'd hit him myself! Again and again and again..."

"I know."

"Then why didn't you tell me? And more to the point, why are you being so evasive now?"

"I don't want to talk about what happened."

"Why? What the hell did he do to you, Abbey?" He couldn't fathom why she wouldn't talk to him. For 20 years, he'd been her touchstone, the one person she could turn to no matter what happened in the world. Why couldn't she talk to him now, he wondered. Was she embarrassed? Did she feel like it was her fault? Or, he thought with apprehension, could it be that there was a sliver of truth in what Alex said? That this wasn't the first time?

"I don't want to discuss it," she repeated, slower this time. "Why isn't that enough?"

He looked her in the eye and asked, "What else are you not telling me?" When he didn't get an immediate answer, he felt a pain in the pit of his stomach. It was as if his worst fears were about to come to fruition. "How much of what he said is true?"

"None of it."

"None of it?"

"I hit him. That's all. Everything else was a lie."

"You never kissed him?" It broke his heart to ask that question. And when she stared at him, speechless, it broke his heart even more. "Well?"

"Jed." It was all Abbey could say. She loved her husband and accepted that stubborn jealous streak of his, annoying as it was. It was pretty well hidden, and his trust in her insured that he rarely showed it, but tonight, Alex played upon it and manipulated all his insecurities.

"You never let him kiss you? You never let him touch you? His hands were never on your ass?"

"Don't go there."

"Was it worse than that? Did you ever..."

"Did I ever what? Have sex with him?" They'd had fights about Ron Ehrlich before, but he never before believed that she'd been unfaithful to him. Was this the alcohol talking or was he truly questioning her fidelity?

He shook his head. "I was going to say..."

"Don't ask me something you can't take back."

"Is it the question or the answer that bothers you?" She cringed at that and Jed took a beat to catch his breath. "I wasn't going to ask if you slept with him. And what I just said, that crossed the line. I'm sorry."

"It's not the only thing that crossed the line."

"How am I supposed to know what's true and what isn't if you won't tell me?"

"The only thing you need to know is that he tried to kiss me, I pushed him away and then I hit him. Nothing else matters."

"Nothing else MATTERS? To who, you? Alex? Because it sure as hell matters to me."

"That's not what I meant. Everything is coming out wrong." Abbey swallowed, hard. "It was humiliating. He overpowered me. I felt vulnerable and afraid. I didn't tell you all the raunchy details because I was humiliated. Are you satisfied?"

Struck with the reality of what his wife struggled with, Jed's demeanor changed. He rubbed his face and replied sadly, "No, I'm not satisfied."

"I know I should have told you," she said remorsefully.

He tabled his own concerns and reached for her.

"Abbey..." All he wanted was to take her in his arms and assure her that he would protect her, that she'd never be a victim to that bastard again. "Come here."

"Please don't." Abbey didn't want to be touched or held. She didn't want to feel vulnerable again, like a victim in need of his protection.

"Okay." He had no idea how deeply traumatic the incident had been for her. He thought it had been a failed attempt at a kiss, something she just brushed off. He realized now that wasn't true. He'd proceed at her pace, he decided.

"I told you I didn't want to come tonight. I wish you'd listened."

"I didn't want you to miss your award. If I had known the details of what happened..."

"If you'd known the details, you would have gone after him, like you did tonight. What's going to happen if he decides to press charges against you?"

"I don't care about that."

"You should...Congressman. That's the last thing we need, your mug shot on the front page of the Union Leader."

"He's not going to press charges."

"No, he'll just threaten to in order to get me to drop my case."

"You're not dropping your case. I don't care what he does to me. You're not going to drop your case."

"I care what he does to you! He knows that and that's what he'll use."

"Let me take care of me, okay?"

"No, it's not okay, Jed. I wish you hadn't hit him."

"You're pissed at me? Seriously?" Everything else aside, Jed refused to shoulder the blame for the confrontation with Alex tonight. "He implied you had an affair with him! Why aren't you angry about that?"

"Who cares what he said? You're going to believe some idiot over me?"

"No, Abbey, I would believe you. Over anyone and everyone else, I would believe you. But you're not answering any of my questions."

She shouldn't have to answer, Abbey thought. Some questions should never be up for discussion. Jed should have immediately known it was all garbage, just like she did when his former communications director made a pass at him. She never suspected that he'd been unfaithful and never even had to ask him because she knew his commitment to her had no bounds. That night, all those years ago, she told him that she never doubted him because she trusted and respected him, that she wouldn't have married a lesser man. She couldn't help but remember those words now and wonder why he couldn't say the same.

She looked at her husband and in a calm, steely voice, she said, "Sometimes, silence is an answer too."

And with that, Abbey turned and went to the bedroom. She left the door open, hoping that he'd come in after her. But minutes passed and there was no sign of Jed, not even the sound of his footsteps. She took a peek into the other room and saw the back of his head as he stormed out of the room and closed the door behind him.

He was off to find Alex, she feared, and there was little she could do to stop him.

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

Series: Snapshots of the Past

Story: Crossroads

Chapter 4

Disclaimer: The characters depicted in this story belong to NBC, WB, Aaron Sorkin, and John Wells. We're just borrowing them for some fun :)

Previously: Abbey was honored at a banquet for her dedication to medical education; Alex confronted Abbey about her accusations against him; Jed decked Alex, then expressed his doubts and suspicions to Abbey, looking for reassurance

Summary: Abbey tells Jed everything; Ellie asks her grandmother for advice

* * *

A thick fog settled on the harbor that night. The fog horns sounded every 10 seconds and Boston Light, the country's first lighthouse, shined its beam out to sea where Jed could hear the echo of the turbulent waves in the distance. After his argument with Abbey, he'd stormed out to find Alex. He checked the ballroom and the patio, but there was no sign of him anywhere. He even checked with the hotel concierge and was told there was no room reservation under Alex's name. He returned to the bar for a drink or two, but the noise and the worry that one of Abbey's colleagues would spot him and start asking questions lured him outside. So, here he stood, at the edge of the pier, looking out at the water and the reflection of the city lights, so vibrant earlier, now muted by the foggy haze that surrounded them.

His hand began to hurt and he looked down to see that Abbey was right, that he should have put some ice on it. He was too stubborn, too angry. He didn't care about the redness, he didn't feel the pain. But now, in the dark of night, he caught a glimpse of the evidence of his wrath and the realization that he struck a man tonight. Alex had deserved it. He baited him; he asked for the fight and had he not disappeared like a coward, Jed would have found him and continued the fight. He rebelled against the part of him that felt a morsel of regret for surrendering the high ground and giving Alex exactly what he wanted. He wasn't a violent man, but anyone who harmed his family would feel the brunt of his temper and he made no apologies for that.

He lit a cigarette, his sixth that night. That, too, was an act of rebellion. Abbey would smell it on him back at the hotel and when she started to lecture, he'd walk away, the way she did when he dared to ask her for the truth about her interaction with Alex. He pictured it in his mind, the childish way he'd respond to her now as if it was tit for tat. It disgusted him. This wasn't how tonight was supposed to go, he remembered. It was supposed to be a night to celebrate her, her accomplishments, her passion for medicine and medical education. It had turned into a drama-infested mess and as much as he didn't want to, he had to admit he shared the blame for that. If only he'd been more understanding, more gentle with her, maybe she would have opened up instead of shutting him out. That was his only regret tonight, and it was strong enough that it overshadowed everything else. He put out his cigarette, slipped his hands into his pocket, and headed home.

* * *

Abbey paced in front of the windows in the Bartlets' tenth-floor suite. She'd changed into her nightgown and tried to get some rest as she waited for Jed to return, but the time dragged on and she stared at the minutes turning to hours on the bedside clock. She worried that he was somewhere, cold and alone, stewing in his anger and distrust. Hours earlier, he'd been so entranced by the lights that winked through the windows that she wondered if he was walking around the city. Or maybe even the harbor, she thought. The fog had dimmed the glow of the skyline and it looked pitch-black down by the water. There was something terrifyingly alluring about black water, he'd told her during a moonlit stroll on the beach in Nantucket one summer. He loved listening to the waves he couldn't see. It was peaceful and mysterious all at the same time.

But then her mind wandered to more ominous possibilities. What if he'd gone looking for Alex, like she feared? What if he was injured? What if he needed her and she didn't know? Her heart ached with guilt. If she'd told him that she hadn't been unfaithful, he would have stayed, or at the very least, he wouldn't have left so angry. Her stubborn edge reared its head and she reacted in outrage that he even asked the question. She wished she could take it back and set the record straight. So what if he needed reassurance, she now realized. It wasn't the end of the world, especially after he went to so much trouble to make tonight so perfect for her.

She reached for the phone to call the concierge when she heard footsteps at the door and someone fumbling with the lock. She dropped the receiver as Jed walked in.

"Where have you been?" It came out sharper than she intended.

"I took a walk around the wharf."

"You could have called."

"I could have." He took off his jacket and tossed it onto the back of the loveseat with no hint of an apology for not calling.

"I was worried," she said, softer.

"There was no reason to be."

"You've been drinking." It wasn't a question. He slurred his words and she smelled it on him.

"We were both drinking."

"I meant you went back to the bar."

"Yeah, I did. And just to save some time, I was smoking too."

There was something almost smug about his confession. Or was it just that she was overly sensitive after their fight that she imagined a more provocative tone than he intended? She wasn't sure. "Are you trying to pick a fight?"

He sighed in frustration and after a beat, he said, "No. I spent all day trying to get you not to be mad at me."

"You went to a lot of trouble to surprise me."

"I did," he agreed. "My insistence that we go to the benefit, it was all for you."

"I know that now."

"And I could handle the snippiness and the grumbling. I thought it would all be worth it once you knew you were being honored. I thought we'd come back to this beautiful suite and celebrate, have some champagne, turn on some music, enjoy each other's company. Instead, you shut down on me."

"That's not why I shut down."

"Isn't it?"

"No, Jed. I'm grateful for the surprise. It was the part that came after. The Alex part."

"Right, you don't want to talk about Alex."

"Yes."

"Well, that's a problem, Abbey...at least that's what you tend to say when the situation is reversed."

"But it's never been reversed exactly like this, has it?"

"No, I'll give you that." They'd had fights about Jed keeping secrets in the past, but this was different and not just because it was Abbey who hadn't been entirely honest. This felt more serious, the story more sinister.

"Things escalated quickly last night."

"They did," he admitted. "And I'm sorry about that, but I'm sure you can understand how I feel. You've been in my shoes before."

"I've never accused you of sleeping with another woman."

And with that, came a long minute of silence as it sank in and Jed realized how much he'd hurt her.

"I didn't accuse you," he said.

"You might as well have. How could you even ask me if I've been unfaithful?"

She was right, he thought. Whatever possessed him to believe Alex, for even a second, he didn't know. It made him sick that he'd allowed the mind games to get to him. "I don't know."

"Do you really think I'd ever do that to you, that I'd betray you, that I'd betray my vows?"

"No, but I also didn't think you'd keep me in the dark about what that snake did to you."

"I didn't keep you in the dark."

"Yes, you did. And how do you think it felt to be the only one in the room not privy to whatever secret you two are keeping?"

"We're not keeping any secrets."

"There is obviously something going on that I don't know about. I could see it in the way you looked at him. It was more than just contempt. It was fear that he would tell me something you haven't."

"No, Jed, you misunderstood. I wasn't conspiring with him, my god."

"Then what? Tell me now. What is it?"

"It was about that day...when he tried to kiss me. I told you about it. I omitted some of the details because..."

"It was humiliating, I get it."

"I didn't want those details to come from his mouth, that's all."

"Why? And more importantly, if you can't tell me something as serious as this without being prompted by the fear that someone else is going to, what does that say about us? What does it say about our marriage?"

"It doesn't say anything about us or about our marriage."

"The hell it doesn't. I still don't know the whole story and to be honest, it's driving me crazy."

She had to tell him, Abbey decided. As painful as it was, it broke her heart that he thought she'd ever conspire with anyone against him. "What do you want to know?"

"Everything. Did he actually kiss you?"

"No, I swear. His mouth touched mine, but he didn't kiss me. I didn't give him the chance."

"Did he rip your clothes? Were his hands under your skirt?"

"No, it wasn't like that. It wasn't violent." She took a breath. "And that's the thing. Some would say it wasn't even a big deal."

"Clearly it was or you wouldn't be reacting like this."

"I don't know why it affected me the way it did," she went on. "When I think about it logically, even I think it wasn't a big deal...but for some reason, I can't reconcile the logic with how I feel...with how HE made me feel."

"How?"

"Humiliated. Violated. And the thing is, I can't figure out why. It's not like it went on for hours. He didn't hit me or rape me."

"He doesn't have to beat you or rape you for it to have been a big deal."

"I know that, Jed. I know. I've lived the PSA, I've reiterated it to our girls. I know that I did nothing wrong, that this was all him, and that he had no right to touch me. I get all that."

"Then what's the confusion here?"

"The betrayal. I trusted him and he used me. He treated me like nothing more than a sex object and I didn't see it until I was put in a position where I thought he might actually hurt me. I've been fighting my emotions the past week because I don't understand it."

"Of course you don't understand it, Abbey. You're keeping it bottled up inside. You need to process it, sweetheart. Let me help you. Tell me what happened."

"It scared me. I'd never seen him like that before. He was so aggressive and strong."

"What did he do?"

"After the M&M, I felt anxious, kind of like I did the night that Frank Pendleton died. Everyone left and it was just Alex and me. He assured me that it wasn't my fault, that I did everything I could to save Frank. And then..."

"And then what?" She bowed her head and Jed changed his tone. He approached her. "It's okay," he said supportively. "I'm here. You can tell me anything."

"He put his arm around me. I tried to move and he tightened his grip. I was surprised. I looked at him and he looked back, right into my eyes as his hold tightened even more. He was a totally different person, Jed."

"What happened then?" he asked softly, unsure if he could live with what more she had to say.

"I felt trapped. He pulled me into a hug, not a platonic one...more aggressive. It was like the weight of his body was on top of mine. He pressed his chest into my breasts so hard, it felt as if someone was holding us together. I wiggled to get away, but no matter what I did, he held me tighter. His hands roamed and yes, he did grab my rearend. His fingers dug into my flesh and I swore he'd leave marks. He angled his hand so that he could get between my legs. His other hand was around my neck. When I moved even a little, he grabbed the back of my head, he pulled my hair to push my face closer to his. He wouldn't let go. No matter how much I struggled, he just kept at it."

"How far did he go?"

"I got away."

"How?"

Abbey thought for a moment, then shook her head. "I don't know. The whole thing lasted 10 seconds."

"How did it end?"

"I felt him...his...his erection," she said. "Apparently, this was just foreplay to him."

Jed was horrified by what he heard. He loosened his bowtie and Abbey watched as he struggled to comprehend what she'd told him. Her abuse and vulnerability triggered another man's erection. He clenched his fists again. He knew that it was a physiologic response, Alex's erection, likely prompted by the thought of kissing her, but logic did nothing to numb the shock. His expression changed from anger to rage to hatred. Then, he looked at his wife and all that faded and changed once again, to compassion.

"It wasn't violent?" he asked, parroting the words she'd said to him seconds earlier. "I can't think of anything more violent than someone forcefully putting his hands on you."

Abbey's eyes pooled with tears. "I struggled enough that I managed to squirm out of his hold. I'll never forget how hard it was to get away, how terrified I was when he was in control."

Jed touched her hand, then her arm. He carefully studied her response before he opened his arms and folded them around her. "He's not in control anymore. He'll never touch you again, I promise."

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you the whole story that night. We might have avoided this whole thing."

"Shh, it's okay." He gently stroked her hair and kissed her on the head. "I love you. I love you so much."

Jed was grateful to know the whole story, but he hated what retelling it did to her. Abbey was a strong, independent woman. Tonight, she was vulnerable and scared. He hadn't seen her like this since the day Frank Crews went before the parole board, forcing her to relive his vile attack on her. Alex may not have traumatized her in the same way, but he was her friend, her confidante, and that alone triggered the sting of an intimate violation and the shock of a betrayal of her instincts and personal safety.

He rubbed her back in soothing circles as he silently vowed to destroy the son of a bitch.

* * *

The darkness started to pass and with the first hint of Boston's sunrise filtering in through the open window of the bedroom, Jed stared at Abbey's naked shoulder exposed over the sheet that sheltered the rest of her body. She had her back to him and he lifted the sheet ever-so-slightly to see her upper back. Nothing. No trace of that creep's touch. He thought back to what Abbey had said, that Alex had held her so tight, she worried he'd leave marks. It had been days now and any bruises had surely faded, but if he'd been more attentive when he first got back to town, he might have been able to see them. He made love to her that first night and didn't even notice. Had he been blind, he wondered.

He'd spent their entire married lives studying every inch of her body. He knew her body better than he knew his own - the feel of her soft, smooth skin, her delicate neck and shoulders, the beautiful mounds at her chest, the feminine curves at her waist, hips, and rear, and those gorgeous legs he always admired. He knew about the mole on her right inner thigh, the tiny scar on her knee from a bicycle accident when she was in grade school, and the cute little dimples on her lower back. He knew her body so well that he instantly recognized any injury or change. He'd been there when each of the girls was born, had seen the evidence of childbirth. And when she miscarried their fourth child, he'd witnessed both her physical and emotional pain from the surgery to remove the baby from her uterus. He'd seen her in the hospital after Frank Crews attacked her, her limbs and back battered from his physical assault. The psychological consequences took their toll, but ultimately, he'd helped her heal, driven her to rehab, and every night, he examined the scars from the defensive wounds on her hands. In 20 years, no cut, bruise, or scar ever got by him and it enraged him that this time, he'd been so consumed by his hormones that he didn't take the time to notice.

With a delicate sweep of his finger, he moved her hair out of the way.

Suddenly, Abbey stirred. Already awake, she turned around to face him. "Hi."

"Hi."

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I was..." He stopped short of covering up what he was really doing.

"Looking for a bruise?" She knew him well.

"The thought of him hurting you, Abbey...of anyone hurting you...I just can't stand it. And now I can't help thinking, what did I miss? Were there bruises and I didn't see them?"

"No, there weren't."

"How do you know?"

"Because I checked."

"There are certain areas you couldn't have seen."

"Honey, I'm all right."

"I just wish..."

"I wish I would have told you too." She ran her hand up and down his arm until she landed at his fingers. She examined them, one at a time, wiggling them while looking at his face for a reaction.

He gave a slight wince when she reached the third and fourth fingers. "That hurts."

"Hold still." Abbey pressed harder just above the knuckle. No response. "It's called a boxer's fracture for a reason. I told you to put ice on it."

"I had other things on my mind." She bent his middle finger forward and pushed it back until he moaned. "AH! What the hell?"

"It's not broken."

"You're sure?"

"Yeah. We can go to the ER to get an x-ray if you want."

"I don't need an x-ray," he said, dismissively. "I didn't hit him hard enough."

"I wouldn't get cocky; it's still bruised and swollen. Will you put some ice on it please?"

"Yes, I will." He sat up, then paused and rubbed his forehead.

"What's wrong?"

"Just give me a minute. I'm not feeling so hot."

Abbey sat up with him. "What is it?"

"My head hurts and my stomach's doing somersaults."

"Too much alcohol?"

"Too much something, that's for sure."

"You think you can get up?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"You're not dizzy?"

"No, just a little nauseated."

"Why don't you go take a shower and I'll get some ice ready to go when you get out."

Jed nodded, then rose slowly to his feet, still in his pants and dress shirt from the night before, the untucked shirt now a wrinkled mess. Abbey watched as he undressed on his way to the shower. He wasn't the only one feeling sick. Her stomach churned, a combination of anxiety and dread for what was yet to come. She loved her husband for defending her the way he had, but she also hated what this meant. She worried that Alex would blackmail her, force her to drop the formal complaint against him by agreeing not to file legal charges against Jed. In the short time they'd been friends, he'd learned the one way to get to Abbey was to threaten Jed and she was certain he'd take advantage of that knowledge eventually.

* * *

After his shower, Jed wrapped himself up in a white terry robe and exited the bathroom to find Abbey tipping the waiter for breakfast. "Room service?"

"I didn't think you'd want to go downstairs for breakfast." She handed him the plastic sleeve from the ice bucket, now filled with ice. "Put that on your hand."

"I planned to take you on a breakfast cruise around the harbor."

"That would have been nice."

"We can still do it."

Her lips curved into a frown. "It's cold and rainy out."

"A little rain isn't going to bother anyone and don't even start on the cold. It's 50 degrees outside. That's positively balmy."

"Then why's the harbor deserted?" she challenged.

"Because Bostonians don't know the meaning of the word warm. They're not as hardy as us northern New Englanders."

Always amused when he went on these rants, Abbey allowed a small laugh. "Tell you what, let's eat now and if we still feel like a cruise, we'll do it before we go home."

"Yeah, okay."

"Did the shower help?"

"It woke me up. The jury's still out on the headache and nausea."

"Sit down." She lifted the domed covers over their meal. "I ordered dry toast, coffee, and ginger ale."

"That's breakfast?" He furrowed his brows as he examined the dishes. "Seriously, where's the real food?"

"Let's see how you tolerate this first."

"I thought you treated a hangover with an aspirin and a big, greasy cheeseburger. Or at least a generous helping of bacon and sausage."

"Here's the aspirin." She opened the bottle of pills in her hand. "The greasy food thing is a myth."

"Now you tell me. I built up a craving in the shower." Jed took a seat.

"Besides, this isn't an ordinary hangover."

"No?" he questioned as he grabbed a piece of toast and ripped it in two.

"You'd probably feel fine this morning if not for the pack of cigarettes you went through."

"I handle nicotine just fine."

"Nicotine makes you more susceptible to the affects of alcohol and, by extension, the symptoms of a hangover. Also, you didn't sleep at all last night. That's likely contributing."

"Or I just got drunk."

"You don't get drunk."

"That's how pissed I was."

She looked at him, silently, until she took a quit sip of her coffee and set it down. "I'm going to go shower."

"Hey." He reached for her hand as she passed by. "Are we okay?"

"Yeah." Abbey leaned down from behind him and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "We're just fine, Jethro."

"I hate when you call me that."

"I know, but you're too sick to fight it today. Eat your breakfast."

Jed chuckled and reluctantly washed down the toast with a sip of gingerale.

* * *

The Bartlet girls enjoyed weekends with their grandparents. They were doted on and spoiled and if Jed and Abbey didn't give any restrictions, they were treated like queens every minute of their visit. They even had their own room at the Barrington family home, complete with a set of large antique bunk beds made of glossy dark pine. Lizzie and Ellie shared the bunks until Zoey came along. Liz then got her own bed and Ellie moved up the ladder to the top bunk, giving Zoey the bottom.

On that April morning, Zoey climbed up to her sister's bed. She found Ellie buried under the covers, only a blonde tendril of hair peeking out from the sheets. The hyper seven-year-old smiled a devilish grin, then bounced on the mattress with the enthusiasm of a circus performer.

"Wake up, Ellie!"

Shaken, Ellie angrily replied, "You do that again and I'll throw you off the bed. Now leave me alone!"

"You're so grumpy," Zoey giggled on her way back down the ladder. "Grandma, she's awake!"

She skipped down the hall toward the kitchen where she heard her grandmother making breakfast.

"Did you tell her I'm making banana pancakes?" Mary asked.

"I forgot. I'll have to wake her again."

"Not so fast!"

"What?"

"You just want to bother her."

"No, I don't."

"Sweet pea, you act like I didn't already raise daughters. I know what little sisters are like. Your mom and Aunt Kate wrote the book on sibling rivalry. Now get over here and help me make muffins."

Zoey hopped up on the stool Mary set out for her. "How many?"

"A dozen."

"How many is that?"

"You know how many a dozen is."

"No, I don't."

Mary looked at her, surprised. "Twelve."

"Oh."

"What if I told you I had six in the oven already. How many more do I need?" Zoey stared at her blankly. "Zoey?"

"You have six in the oven?"

"That's right. How many more do I need?"

"I'm not sure."

"Figure it out. You know how to subtract, don't you?"

Zoey was nervous. She practically froze. "Yeah..."

Mary waited and when there was no answer, she said, "It's six silly. If I need 12 and I already have six, I need six more, right? Six plus six equals 12."

A sigh of relief. "Oh, yeah. I forgot."

Mary found it odd that her granddaughter couldn't answer the simplest of math questions, but she attributed her silence to spring break fatigue and moved on. Around the corner, Ellie heard everything. She knew the truth and Zoey's lack of ability startled her. She'd debated for a while now telling her parents that she had been completing Zoey's math homework. She always dismissed the thought, wanting to avoid getting them both in trouble, but for the past few weeks, she'd started to realize how big a mistake she'd made, and she had no idea how to fix it.

Quietly, she tiptoed back upstairs.

* * *

Abbey reached for her bathrobe and stepped out of the shower, leaving her hair to fall into loose, wet curls that framed her face. Jed always loved that wet hair. Her sexy glam turned him on, but he used to say there was something so sweet and innocent about her right after a shower, no makeup on her face and her natural waves and curls not yet tamed by the heat of the blowdryer.

She opened the door, her robe tied loosely around her waist. "Hey."

Jed had the phone pinned to his ear. He gestured to her, then returned to the call. "Just fax it to me. I'll look it over and send it back. We'll make it a conference call out of the Manchester office at 3 p.m. Monday."

She listened quietly as he confirmed his plans to work out of his Manchester office for another week. When he hung up the receiver, she asked, "Monday?"

"Guess what?"

"What?"

"The rain let up and the toast did the trick. How about that cruise before we hit the road?"

"Not until you answer my question. Monday?"

"That's not a question."

"Jed."

"I re-arranged some things."

"Why?"

"Now's not the time for me to go back to D.C.," he told her.

"Because of Alex?"

"Not directly. You've got a lot on your plate."

"I can handle it," she said as she grabbed a pair of winter white leggings from her suitcase and paired it with an oversized winter white cable-knit sweater.

"I have no doubt that's true, but you don't have to. We're a team. It's my turn to help out."

"You do help out."

"Not enough. You have this thing with Alex, you still have the Pendleton case, your regular patients and surgeries, and in the small amount of free time you have, you're doing a damn good job taking care of our daughters."

"This was the sacrifice we agreed to when you ran for a second term."

"Screw our agreement. You don't have to do this all by yourself, Abbey. You don't have to be superwoman."

The statement lingered in the air. Abbey didn't know what to make of it. Of course, she was thankful that she had such a considerate husband, but she suspected more to his motivation. "Not as long as you're playing superman."

He frowned at that. "What are you talking about?"

"What's the real reason you're staying in New Hampshire?"

"The real reason?"

"You want to keep an eye on Alex."

"Abbey."

"We've been married 20 years, Jed. I know everything about you, including how your mind works when it comes to this kind of thing. You're staying because of Alex, because you want to protect me."

"Fine, what's so wrong with me wanting to protect you?"

"Nothing's wrong with it. I just wanted you to admit it so that I can tell you I don't need you to protect me."

"Okay," he replied unconvincingly.

"I may have felt helpless when Alex grabbed me, but don't forget that I got out of his hold on my own."

"I know you did."

"And I fought back. I didn't freeze. It wasn't like Frank Crews." Abbey saw him cringe at that name. The man responsible for the darkest period in their lives would never be forgotten. "That's what you were thinking, isn't it?"

"I understand the difference and I also understand the similarities."

"What similarities?"

"The similarities for me, Abbey. I wasn't there when Crews put his hands on you. I wasn't there when Alex did it. It seems anytime you need me, I'm not around."

"I never blamed you."

"I know that. It's not about blame. I'm just saying, I'd like to, you know, be a husband."

"You are a husband, a damn good one," she said firmly. "But I maintain, there are no similarities...other than they're both pigs."

Jed chuckled as he circled his arms around her and clasped his hands as they rested on her hips. "Fair enough. I still want to stay. No ulterior motives. I just want to be with you."

"Okay," she said, smiling back at him. "I kind of like having you around."

"I kind of like being around."

"I'll go get ready and we can go on that cruise."

"Hang on." Jed stopped her in her tracks by pulling on her belt. "We never got to celebrate your award."

"No, we didn't."

He glanced at his watch. "We have an hour before we have to check out."

She asked with a flirtatious grin, "What do you have in mind?"

His warm hands slipped beneath her robe, dropping it from her shoulders and exposing her beautiful nude form. Abbey melted into his kiss as they made their way to the bed. Jed rid himself of his clothes, then climbed on top of her. He used gentle strokes, his hands, his body, and his tongue. After the way she'd been manhandled by Alex in his violent attempt at seduction, Jed wanted her to feel safe with him, secure in the knowledge that he would never hurt her or take her without permission.

One finger traced the features on her face and trailed down her lips, her neck, and her chest. When he circled then cupped her breast, he watched her reaction. "Are you okay?"

"I'm always okay with you," she whispered as she breathed just a little harder in anticipation of what came next.

* * *

There was a trampoline in the Barrington backyard. It was where Abbey and Kate spent hours playing when they were little, before Abbey fell and broke her arm one hot summer night during a family barbecue. It didn't get much use after that, until Lizzie discovered the world of cheerleading. Spoiling his granddaughter as he was known to do, James bought a new trampoline and had a safety net installed around it. The day he unveiled it, Liz squealed and jumped in his arms, then immediately took to the springy mesh to practice her tumbling tricks.

During the winter, the trampoline was tucked away, but as soon as Jed called to tell his in-laws that he and Abbey needed a night alone in Boston, James worked to make sure it was ready for use. He accomplished that task and that April morning, immediately after breakfast, Zoey excitedly followed her grandfather to the backyard.

Ellie lingered behind and helped to clear the table.

"Don't you want to play outside?" Mary asked her.

"Nah."

"You used to love the trampoline."

Ellie shrugged. "I'm okay."

Mary gave her a stern look. "No, you're not. What's going on, sunshine?"

"Grandma, can I ask you something?"

"Always."

"Earlier, when you asked Zoey to subtract and she couldn't...is that weird? She should know how by now, right?" Mary appeared confused. Ellie hadn't been around during that interaction, or so she thought. The 12-year-old confessed, "I overheard."

"Ah," Mary said with a nod before answering the question. "I'm sure she knows how. She's just not in the school mindset with it being spring break and all."

"But I don't think she knows how."

"Of course she does. Her teacher has taught it by now, I'm certain."

"She doesn't pay attention during math class. She's told me that herself."

"Well, then she must have picked it up while doing homework. I'm sure if she was struggling in math, your parents would help her."

"That's just it though. No one knows she's struggling because her homework is always done and her exams are all take-home quizzes."

"So she must be doing them."

"No, she's not."

"Then your parents must be taking care of it."

"They don't know."

"How could they not know? Hasn't her teacher been in touch with them?"

"Her teacher doesn't know either. Grandma, I've been doing all her math homework for the past five months. Worksheets, textbook problems, quizzes, everything."

"What?"

"It started last November. She had a worksheet to do and she didn't understand it, so she asked me to help. But she wasn't getting it and it was getting late. She kept calling herself stupid, so I did the work on a piece of paper and then she copied it over on her worksheet so that when Mom and Dad checked her homework, they'd see that it's her handwriting."

"Eleanor."

"I thought it was just going to be that one time. But then, one time turned into two, and then three, and pretty soon, she just expected me to do it all the time."

"And you did?"

Ellie nodded, ashamed. "I wanted to help. I felt bad for her. I tried to tell her I wouldn't do it anymore, but she begged me and I gave in. I know I shouldn't have and I especially know it now. She's so far behind. I don't know what to do."

"You need to tell your parents, that's what you do."

"She'll be in so much trouble."

"Maybe she deserves to be in trouble. She needs to learn just how wrong this is."

"Mom and Dad are going to be so mad."

"They'd have a right to be."

"I pinky swore that I wouldn't tell."

"Do you want me to tell them?"

"No, they'll be even more mad if it comes from you."

"Well then, you need to break your promise and tell your parents. It's for Zoey's own good."

"I know. I'll tell them."

"Tell them tonight, Ellie. The sooner, the better."

She thought asking her grandmother for advice would help to ease her conscious. Instead, Ellie felt the reality of what she'd done and knew she had to put an end to it. She had been wanting to for a while, but Zoey would hate her, never trust her again, she repeatedly told herself. That wasn't an excuse anymore, she decided. No matter what, she had to tell her parents and this time, she wasn't going to give Zoey a chance to stop her.

* * *

Alex Foster had been happily married to his college sweetheart for 25 years. His wife, Julia, was his whole world until that fateful night that she kissed him goodbye and never came home. It was a drunk driver, he'd been told. A head-on collision. She didn't have a chance. The day he'd buried her, he almost took his own life, but he couldn't bring himself to do it until the maniac responsible for her death was punished in a court of law.

On the day of the sentencing, he'd accomplished his goal. But by then, thoughts of suicide were a distant memory. Instead, Alex resigned his job and bought a lakeside cabin in upstate New York, where he retreated from life and lived as a hermit, his depression flourishing in his loneliness for the next two years. His grief never subsided, but somehow, his love of medicine brought him out of the darkness and he re-emerged with a new destination in mind.

Being a doctor was all he knew since Julia's death. He woke up in the morning with the sole purpose of saving lives and sparing others the heartbreak he had endured. He traveled to New Hampshire with plans for a fresh start far away from the haunts of the past. He never planned to get romantically involved with anyone. He didn't want a girlfriend or another wife. He was content with his memories of the one woman he'd love until eternity.

Then, he met Abbey.

Alex's world changed and for the first time since Julia's death, he imagined himself happy again. When he found out about Jed, he kept things platonic, fighting the urge every single day to confess his feelings in case there was any hope, however slim, that Abbey felt the same. He fought and fought until that one day that he couldn't fight any longer.

In a moment of weakness, he made a move on her. She was vulnerable and he took advantage of it. He hated himself for it afterwards, his actions so deplorable that he even considered leaving town and never looking back. But then the bombshell hit him - Abbey had accused him of sexual assault and the sheer notion of it enraged him.

What he did was wrong, but did it rise to the level of a criminal act? Did it warrant a charge that would forever mar his career? He knew that if such a charge was proven, he'd not only lose his privileges at the hospital, he'd have to testify before the medical board and from then on, he'd always have to check the box on every medical licensing application that implied he was a sexual predator. All because he made a pass at a friend.

Thinking about it now, alone, inside his Manchester condo, filled him with anger. He began strategizing, determined to mount a defense that hinged on undermining Abbey's credibility and casting her motives in a suspicious light by convincing everyone they'd had an affair.

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

Series: Snapshots of the Past

Story: Crossroads

Chapter 5

Disclaimer: The characters depicted in this story belong to NBC, WB, Aaron Sorkin, and John Wells. We're just borrowing them for some fun :)

Previously: Abbey told Jed about her encounter with Alex and why she filed a formal complaint against him; Alex plotted his defense; Ellie asked her grandmother for advice regarding Zoey

Summary: It's Easter with the Bartlets; Jed and Abbey share their plans for their vow renewal with their loved ones; Abbey gets news about Alex

* * *

Easter 1987

The Bartlets were known for elaborate holiday celebrations, a reputation well-earned over the years. Jed loved playing host and enjoyed the chaos and rambunctious spirit that defined family get-togethers; they were a far cry from the formal and stuffy holidays he experienced as a boy when he was forced to play upstairs or sit quietly while the adults engaged. He was determined to raise his girls in an environment that emphasized the importance of family while allowing them all the fun of being children.

That morning, like all the Easters before, he and Abbey fumbled around in the pre-dawn hours and retrieved the eggs the girls had dyed and decorated days earlier to hide in the house and the garden. They then assembled three Easter baskets - one each for Ellie and Zoey and one giant basket for Doug and Liz - and filled them with treats before returning to bed to rest up for the busy day ahead.

Predictably, Zoey was the first one up and with all the energy and exuberance her seven-year-old body could muster, she bounded down the stairs to claim her Easter basket and wait for the rest of the family to rise. She examined it from top to bottom. A solid milk chocolate bunny, peeps, Cadbury creme eggs, and jelly beans all atop a bed of paper grass with a coloring book, colored pencils, and dangling backpack charms tucked in on the sides. She carefully considered pulling on the delicate bow to unwrap the plastic and treat herself to a handful of jelly beans, but Abbey had a rule: no candy until after breakfast and Zoey decided the consequences of disobeying her mother weren't worth the momentary satisfaction. Instead, she rattled around the kitchen and living room in hopes that the obnoxious sounds would wake her parents and sister.

Mission accomplished.

Jed and Abbey were annoyed with the noise, but they couldn't stay mad at their youngest daughter for being excited about a holiday. They sighed under the covers, then grudgingly tossed the covers aside and rose from their bed. Abbey started toward the shower while Jed grabbed his robe and headed downstairs to put a stop to all the racket. He knocked on his middle daughter's door on his way down. Ellie rubbed at her eyes, stretched, yawned, and rolled back over to sleep.

By the time Jed made it to the kitchen, he caught Zoey on the counter, jumping with her arms stretched to reach the top cupboard.

"ZOEY!" he shouted as he sprinted to catch her. "What in hell are you doing?"

"Trying to get more coffee!"

"You don't drink coffee!"

"But you and Mommy do. I wanted to make it so we don't waste time when you wake up."

Jed took a deep breath. He grabbed her and set her down on the floor. "What do you suppose Mom would say about you jumping on the counter?"

"She'd say no feet on the counter."

"And?"

"And that I'll crack my skull open," Zoey giggled. That was Abbey's cliche line when the girls did something dangerous.

"It's not funny, Zo. You could have gotten hurt." He softened when Zoey looked down with remorse for her actions. "All right, let's just celebrate the fact that you didn't fall, okay?"

"Okay."

"No more climbing up on the counter. Got it?"

"I promise," she said. "Wanna see what the Easter bunny brought me?"

"Depends."

"On what?"

"You plan to share?" He smiled at her, a clear indication that all was forgiven.

Zoey ran to grab her basket while Jed turned on the oven in preparation for the bacon and egg casserole he'd assembled and refrigerated the night before. Abbey had warned it would be just the four of them for breakfast this year, but that didn't mean less food as far as Jed was concerned; it just meant even more servings of his favorite cheesy casserole. He sealed it with a fresh sheet of aluminum, then slipped it into the oven seconds before he heard the pitter-patter of Zoey's sock-clad feet.

"Daddy, do you want to open it to see what's inside?" she asked, showing off her basket.

Jed glanced down at her as Abbey, now dressed in a silky black robe with her hair in wet ringlets, sauntered up behind him. She tried to be discreet, but he immediately recognized the scent of her strawberry shampoo. Backtracking to avoid his wife's disapproval, he addressed Zoey, "Nice try, but you know the rules - no candy until we eat. Now go wash up if you want to help me with breakfast."

"But you said we'd share..."

Jed laughed dismissively. "No, sweetheart, you misunderstood."

Skeptical, Abbey narrowed her eyes. "Something tells me she didn't."

Jed turned toward her. She raised a brow and he relented. "I love the smell of your hair after a shower."

"Happy Easter, Mommy!"

"Happy Easter, Zoey." Abbey leaned down, lovingly ran her hand across Zoey's face, and took the basket from her. "After breakfast, okay?"

"Okay," she replied, defeated.

Abbey pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Go wash up and wake your sister while you're at it."

"Okay!" Permission to wake Ellie always brightened Zoey's morning. She skipped toward the stairs, oblivious to the discussion Jed faced as a result of her squealing.

" 'You said we'd share?' Really, Jed?"

"The coloring book. That's all I meant."

Abbey scoffed at that. "You're such a child."

"A child, eh?" He backed her up against the counter and rubbed up against her. "I'll show you how un-childlike I am."

"How am I supposed to set limits and boundaries when you encourage rebellion?"

"I'm all about boundary-setting."

"You're an accomplice to their misdeeds."

"You're right, I'm sorry." His hands on either side of her, he kissed her.

"No you're not," Abbey challenged.

"You're right, I'm not. I wanted candy."

"And it was worth undermining me in front of Zoey?"

"I didn't undermine you. I had a whole plan already worked out. I was going to get my candy and she was going to obey your rule."

"How?"

"I was going to open the basket, see. And then I was going to ask her to show me the coloring book while I snuck a jelly bean or two."

"And she wouldn't have noticed? Please."

"Zoey's our third, babe. I've been pulling this stunt for 18 years. I perfected my covert skills with the other two."

"How'd you know I was standing behind you?"

"When you smell as good as you do, sweet knees, you announce your presence from a mile away!" He lifted her up onto the counter and stood between her soft, smooth legs. "You are so damn gorgeous."

His kiss caught Abbey by surprise, but she adjusted quickly. She wrapped her hands around the back of his head as she balanced herself on the countertop. "I'm not finished scolding you."

"Feel free to continue. I'm very naughty," he said between kisses.

"Yes, you are..."

She breathed a little harder as his tongue poked the bare flesh under her robe and trailed down to her breasts.

* * *

After breakfast, Jed and Abbey attended Easter mass with their girls at Sacred Heart in Manchester, a historic old church on Elm where they'd been attending services since their move from Hanover after Abbey finished residency. A small church, it was one that would always be special to Jed. He visited Holy Trinity when he was in Washington, but Sacred Heart was home. It was where Elizabeth was confirmed, where Ellie had taken her First Communion, and where Zoey was preparing for hers.

That morning as they filed in to the pews, he sensed that something was missing. Someone. For the first time in her life, Liz didn't join her parents for Easter mass. She spent the morning with Doug and her in-laws in Nashua instead. Her absence was felt by the rest of the family, but most profoundly by Jed.

Noticing her husband's somber expression when he placed his palm on the pew in front of him, Abbey covered his hand with her own. "She'll be at dinner tonight."

"Yeah, I know," he replied with a grateful smile to his wife for always knowing exactly what he was thinking before he said it out loud.

They took their seats, their hands still joined and their fingers locked as the service began.

* * *

Bartlet Easter egg hunts weren't meant for just the kids. While Jed and Abbey hid eggs in the house and the garden for the little ones, there was a second batch of eggs hidden in the orchard. They were plastic, each containing miniature bottles of Bailey's and other trinkets more suitable for the adult friends and family who chose to spend the holiday at the farm. There was one egg - a golden Fabergé - that contained a very special vineyard getaway prize to coax even the most hesitant guests, Millie and Richard, to join the fun.

One by one, each team took to the fields and hills of the farm to find the eggs. Abbey watched them from the window in the kitchen, where she put the finishing touches on the feast she'd prepared for dinner. She poured two tablespoons of her homemade dressing in the salad, then tossed it together before the phone rang.

"Hello?" She cradled the receiver between her shoulder and chin as she continued tossing the salad.

"Abbey, it's Rob. Sorry to bother you on Easter."

Rob Nolan was never a bother. He and Abbey had been friends since her days in residency. He was also Chief of Surgery at the hospital and she knew he only called her at home when he had to.

"Don't be silly, what's up?"

"There's something I need to tell you. I wanted to be the one to do it and I wanted you to know before you got to work tomorrow."

"Rob, what is it?"

"I've just been informed that Alex Foster has filed a complaint against you."

"Against ME? What for?"

"Harassment and slander."

"What?" Abbey couldn't believe her ears. This was the man who had forcefully groped her. How could he be the one filing a complaint?

"Abbey, he says you and he..."

"What, Rob?"

"That you and he were an item and when he broke it off, you became enraged and filed a complaint that he assaulted you."

"He DID assault me."

"He's saying he didn't. His version of events is that when he told you he was no longer interested, you slapped him and then you began telling anyone who would listen that he made unwanted sexual advances..."

"Which he did."

"Did you slap him?"

"Yes, I was defending myself."

"Look, this is obviously more complicated than we can get into tonight. I just didn't want you to walk into work tomorrow and be blindsided. You need to meet with HR first thing in the morning. Reschedule your patients if you have to."

"Rob, this isn't what it sounds like. He and I were never 'an item.' You know that, don't you?"

"Of course." Rob could never believe such a thing. From the moment he met Abbey, he realized she only had eyes for Jed. They were the strongest, most devoted couple Rob knew and there was no chance that Abbey would have betrayed the love of her life. Whatever happened between her and Alex wasn't romantic, he was sure of it. "I just want to resolve this the best we can."

"You and me both."

Abbey stood there with the receiver dangling below her chin after Rob said goodbye. She couldn't believe what Alex had done. Up until a week ago, he was her friend. Her ally. Her confidante at work. She thought he'd made a mistake. As unforgivable as it had been, she didn't think his pass was calculated or planned; she thought it was an impulsive move by a man with no self-control who got lost in his emotions. But this was vindictive and she never dreamed he'd be so vengeful. Had she totally misjudged him?

She looked dazed, her eyes fixed on the salad bowl when Jed walked in.

"Abbey?" He waved a hand in front of her and took the phone from her to return it to the wall. "What's wrong? What was that phone call about?"

She thought for a moment and decided this wasn't the right time. They had a house full of guests and could be interrupted at any minute. She'd explain everything to Jed later this evening, when they were alone. For the time being, she took a breath and shook her head. "I just got some bad news."

"I'm sorry."

"Me too."

"Do you need to go in?"

"No."

"Are you sure? Is it a patient?"

"No, it isn't."

"What is it?"

As much as she wanted to avoid the conversation, she couldn't look him in the eye and mislead him. "It was Rob."

"Calling on Easter?"

"Yeah, there's something going on he wanted to tell me about."

"Serious enough to call tonight. Is it about Alex?"

"Can we table this until later? We have to get the food out there."

"The food can wait," he said firmly. "Abbey?"

"Jed, my parents are ten feet away, not to mention our girls. Please, let's talk about it later."

"All right, if that's what you want."

"It's just not the right time. We'll get into it later."

"Okay."

"Thank you."

"One thing." He took her hand and flipped over so he could place her engagement ring in her upturned palm. "Tell them tonight."

"Yeah?" Abbey looked at it sparkling in her hand. She hadn't worn her engagement ring for a week, ever since that first night he came back from Washington and surprised her with the upgraded diamond and proposal.

"I can't wait for everyone out there to know that you agreed to marry me all over again."

"They're going to pester us about planning. You know that, don't you?"

"Let them pester away. It won't change our decision." He circled his arms around her waist. "We're a united front."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

"Okay." Abbey smiled adoringly at him. "Let's do it."

* * *

Jed sat at the head of the table that night and looked out at his loved ones, all gathered around to celebrate the most wonderful of holidays. To his right, a very pregnant Elizabeth sat with her grandmother, listening intently as Mary charmed her with advice about motherhood and the demands of a newborn. Beside them, Ellie and Brad elbowed each other and giggled as if sharing some secret that no one else knew. He was so proud of his middle daughter. After years of rivalry and petty arguments between her and Brad, Ellie had voluntarily made an unprompted promise to herself to be nice to Brad and reach out to him as a source of support when she found out his parents were headed for divorce.

To Jed's left, Jack and James were engrossed in dialogue about the Red Sox and directly across the table, Abbey didn't miss a beat with Millie as she piled another serving of potatoes on Zoey's plate. It was when Abbey reached across her friend for a couple of napkins that something struck Millie. She grabbed Abbey's hand mid-reach and examined the glittering rock on her finger.

"Abbey, when did you get a new ring?"

"It's not new. Jed had it upgraded..." she said. Then, she added, "so he could propose to me again."

Millie let out a soft scream that alerted the rest of the guests. "You're getting married again?!"

"Well, technically, we're already married and there's no such thing as getting married again..."

"Abigail." Jed shook his head at her. "You're too damn literal!"

"But yes, Jed and I are going to renew our vows." She looked at her husband. "You didn't let me finish."

"When?" Liz asked, excited.

"On our anniversary."

"This is GREAT!"

"Can we be bridesmaids?" Ellie asked.

"I wanna be flower girl again!" Zoey added, remembering how much fun she had as a flower girl at Liz's wedding.

"Bridesmaid over here." Millie raised her hand.

"I'm calling dibs on matron of honor," Kate said. Having served as maid of honor at Jed and Abbey's first wedding, she loved the thought of doing it again.

"I'm going to need another mother-of-the-bride dress," Mary beamed.

Hearing their simultaneous declarations, Abbey raised both hands. "Okay, okay, hang on."

"Yeah, if it keeps going like this, her bridal party's going to outnumber the guests." Jed grinned from ear to ear.

"There is no bridal party. I am not a bride. We're just renewing our vows, that's all."

"People go all out for vow renewals," Millie informed her. "White dress, walk down the aisle, bouquet and garter toss, the whole nine yards."

"Well, not us. We already had all that. We want something a little more intimate this time."

"More intimate?"

"What does that mean?"

"It means we're eloping, just the two of us."

And with that announcement came dead silence from their dinner guests. The Bartlet girls exchanged glances and Zoey squirmed in her seat as she processed the change in the mood in the room. Abbey avoided her mother's stare, knowing that it would be one of disappointment and a silent plea to reconsider. Jed looked across the table at his wife with a nod of support as she attempted to lead their guests back to discussion of the holiday festivities.

* * *

"What happened to being a united front?"

Abbey sat at her vanity and brushed the tangles out of her hair later that evening. Their guests had left shortly before and after she and Jed packed up the leftovers and tucked Ellie and Zoey into bed, they retreated to their bedroom, where Jed suggested they reconsider their elopement plans to placate their loved ones.

"We are a united front. I didn't say anything to them. I'm telling you, maybe we should consider changing our plans." He stood behind her chair, looking at her reflection in the mirror and seeing the expression of disappointment. "Or not. It was just a suggestion."

"We agreed to do it our way."

"Yes, we did, and I still want that."

"But?"

"Remember when we planned our wedding? Remember how much our parents tried to interfere? How unhappy we were?"

"I remember you standing up to them and telling them we were going to pay for the entire wedding ourselves so we could plan the day we wanted." Abbey rose to her feet and turned to face her husband.

"And planning the day we wanted didn't exclude them. They were so happy for us, so proud. We can still do it our way with them in attendance, even now."

"We just threw Liz an extravagant wedding. I don't want to plan another one, Jed."

"You don't have to. I'll take care of it."

"You?"

"Yes, me."

"From Washington?"

"I'll hire a planner."

"I thought we were on the same page. Why are you so excited about a big wedding now?"

"It doesn't have to be big. It can still be intimate. Just our close friends and family. Our daughters. They never saw it the first time."

Abbey considered that. Thinking of their girls all dressed up and standing with them at the altar brought a smile to her face. "They would enjoy it."

"We could do it at Sacred Heart and come back to the farm for the reception."

"And it would be small?"

"You can make the guest list."

"Promise me you won't go behind my back and invite random people."

"Cross my heart." He approached her with his hand out to take hers and pull her towards him. "I can't wait to recite my vows in front of God and pledge my devotion to you again; I just want everyone we love to see it."

His eyes twinkled with enthusiasm and Abbey let out a deep sigh as she felt herself about to surrender. "All right, I can't argue with that."

Jed smiled broadly. "It'll be great, trust me!"

"Aside from the guest list, I'm going to be completely hands-off."

"In all the time we've been married, when have you ever been hands-off?"

"That's true." Abbey returned her hairbrush to the vanity and tucked her chair in as Jed headed over to his side of the bed. "We need to talk."

"About Rob's call." He turned down the covers. He hoped they could avoid this conversation tonight.

"Alex reported me for harassment and slander."

That got his attention. "What?"

"He claims that the incident never happened, at least not the way I told it."

"How does he claim it happened?" He watched her take off her robe and climb into bed, refusing to look at him. "Abbey?"

"He says I filed my complaint against him after he broke things off."

"Broke things off?"

"He says we were an item, whatever that means."

"An item? As in, romantically involved."

"Yes." Finally, she glanced up at him. "It's not true obviously."

"He says you two were an item and he broke things off?"

"And I flew off the handle, slapped him, and then ran to HR."

Jed burned with rage. "We should call Pat."

"No."

"Abbey, this guy's not playing around."

"And neither am I! If he wants to go down that road, let him. No one will believe it."

"And what if they do?"

"Jed, I don't need a lawyer and using one to fight my battle is going to imply guilt."

"No, it's going to safeguard against these types accusations. You have your reputation to think about, Abbey. Pat can help us navigate this thing."

"Not yet, okay? I'm not ready to involve anyone else."

Jed crawled in beside her. He tucked his feet under the blanket and rolled onto his side. "What does Rob say?"

"He says it's ludicrous."

"Will he have your back?"

"As much as he can. I don't know what's going to happen. I have to meet with HR again in the morning."

"I should go with you."

"Right, because that's exactly what I need: my husband coming with me when I adamantly deny any inappropriate involvement with another man. That won't look suspicious." One look at him and she immediately regretted her sarcasm. "Sorry. I just don't think you coming is going to help."

"It wouldn't hurt them to see us together, to see how strong a marriage we have, to see how much you love me."

Abbey locked into his gaze. "I do love you, Jed. You know that, right?"

Brushing his own insecurities aside, Jed believed her. Abbey wasn't a deceitful person. She was an honest woman with standards and morals. She'd earned his trust and he knew that she would never participate in the kind of scheming and plotting necessary to engage in an extramarital romance with another man.

"Hey." Jed rubbed her arm and gave her hand a tender squeeze. "It's going to be okay. We'll get through this."

Abbey replied with an unconvincing nod, then rolled onto her back and stared up at the ceiling. She had no idea what was waiting for her tomorrow. What lies would she have to deny? What circumstances would she have to explain? She feared the accusations and she wondered how she'd defend herself to complete strangers, but more importantly, she worried that if Alex's story was convincing enough, how would she ever defend herself to Jed?

It was going to be an excruciatingly long night.

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

Series: Snapshots of the Past

Story: Crossroads

Chapter 6

Disclaimer: The characters depicted in this story belong to NBC, WB, Aaron Sorkin, and John Wells. We're just borrowing them for some fun :)

Previously: The Bartlets enjoyed Easter as a family; Abbey found out that Alex had filed his own charges against her

Summary: Abbey learns the extent of Alex's accusations; Jed promises to stand by Abbey; Ellie decides to tell her parents about Zoey's deception and the consequences are beyond what she ever expected

Author's Note: Thank you for continuing to read this seemingly never-ending saga. Happy New Year to all!

* * *

Sleepless nights in the Bartlet house were usually cured with a hot and steamy mug of warm milk mixed with vanilla and honey. It was Mary Barrington's secret remedy to tackle her daughters' insomnia when they were growing up. When she had her own children, Abbey claimed the recipe and added a sprinkle of cinnamon to make it her own. She'd lost count of how many times she'd made it for the girls. It was the perfect mixture of flavors to comfort them after bad dreams in the middle of the night or heal broken hearts and wipe away tears before bed.

Standing at the stove now, Abbey poured herself a generous portion. She'd been tossing and turning in bed for hours, her muscles cramped from the tension every time she rolled over. She caught a glimpse of the clock on the nightstand and at 2 a.m., she finally crawled out from under the covers and quietly tiptoed out of the bedroom. She didn't intend to wake Jed; little did she know he hadn't slept a wink either.

It took him several minutes to get himself up and follow her downstairs. Framed in the entryway to the kitchen, Jed watched her sip her mug and take a seat at the table.

"Got any more of that?"

"You're up?" she asked, surprised. "Did I wake you?"

"No," he said, pouring himself some milk and taking the seat directly across from her. "I'm thinking about tomorrow too."

Tomorrow. The day that Abbey would face accusations from Alex that her claims weren't true, that she'd made them up, the voice of a scorned lover lashing out in revenge after their secret love affair fell apart.

Jed raged inside. The idea of another man making such vile and indecent claims about his wife made him crazy. But the last time he took matters into his own hands, it ended in him physically assaulting Alex and Abbey pissed at him for making a scene. He wouldn't let that happen again. She needed him now and he was determined to make this a battle they fought together, even if he had to follow her lead.

"You think I'm making a mistake not talking to Pat." It wasn't a question. Abbey knew very well where Jed stood on the idea of consulting their family attorney.

"I just want you protected legally that's all."

"If I get a lawyer, he's going to do the same."

"How do you know he hasn't?"

"I don't want this to become a legal battle."

"It already is, Abbey; he's making serious charges."

"As am I."

"Yes, but yours are true," he said with a conviction that touched her. "I don't know what's waiting for us tomorrow, but what I do know is that in the course of defending yourself, he's going to tarnish a reputation you worked hard to build. Yes, you'll deny everything and yes, in the end, this will likely go away, but the memory lingers. And that may not mean much now, but in the future, it will. What if you want to be department chair someday? What if you decide to get into resident training? Be director of the program? Don't you think there's a possibility these charges will be resurrected?"

"The allegations are already out there."

"For about a day. If we get Pat onboard, he'll know what to do, whether it's sending a cease-and-desist or filing a countersuit."

"Alex hasn't filed a suit yet."

"It's only a matter of time," he warned. "Look, sweetheart, whatever you want to do, I'll support you. I just want you to consider your options. ALL your options."

Abbey took a beat as she wrapped her hands around her mug. After a brief break in the conversation, she looked over at him. "Jed?"

"Yeah?"

"It's not true."

Seeing her nervous about his response, Jed looked her in the eye and said, "I know."

Those two words, while ridiculously simple, brought Abbey the reassurance she craved. In her worst nightmares, she imagined Jed doubting her, thinking that she'd betrayed him and not believing her when she insisted she didn't. She'd snap herself out of it and remind herself that he'd never do such a thing - that he knew her too well, believed in her and loved her too much to turn his back on her. Still, the confirmation of his trust gave her a measure of relief that she desperately needed.

She nodded and took a sip of her milk as they sat at the table in silence for the next half hour.

* * *

Ellie Bartlet was supposed to be asleep. She tried. Desperately. But her mind raced with the secret she had to tell, the secret she'd kept to protect her sister. Thinking about the consequences made her anxious. After Easter dinner the night before, her grandmother had pulled her aside and asked if she'd told her parents that she'd been doing Zoey's homework for the past five months. Ellie had wanted to, but she didn't want to ruin the holiday, so she kept quiet with plans to tell her parents some other time. Mary encouraged her to do it soon, even told her that if she didn't come forward, Mary would have to. Ellie took those words to heart.

She didn't complete the worksheet Zoey wanted her to that night. She took a stand and refused and even the tears of her baby sister didn't force her to surrender. When everyone left, she made an excuse to go to bed early. She buried herself under a layer of satin sheets and a large, cozy quilt her grandmother gave her for Christmas, where she tossed and turned for hours, feigning sleep when Jed and Abbey came in to kiss her goodnight. If she slept for more than an hour that night, it wasn't a restful slumber.

Cocooned in the mound of pillows leaning against her headboard, she saw the darkness give way to what she assumed was a beautiful April sunrise by the amber hues that filtered through the blinds. Her stomach rumbled with anxiety. She felt sick. Why was it so hard to tell the truth? It used to come so naturally to her. What had happened to her honesty? Her integrity and pride in herself? What was she afraid of? Her parents were fair and loving. They'd be upset, but they'd understand the predicament she was in and they'd thank her for coming to them to let them know what Zoey had done, she tried to convince herself.

Finally, she stopped debating her own demons. With determination, she shoved the covers aside, rose to her feet, and headed to the door. She opened it a crack to see her parents already up and in the middle of what sounded like a serious discussion about the hospital and lawyers. Her mother was clearly upset and her father sounded protective and angry about whatever was happening. Ellie closed the door then, annoyed yet also relieved as she decided her secret could wait until later.

* * *

Abbey cleared her morning schedule in the clinic to free herself up to visit the Human Resources office at the hospital. She'd been summoned there to address the complaint Alex had made about her and until she arrived, she had no idea what to expect.

It was a small room. Cold and cramped. She walked in to see Rob Nolan sitting in the chair beside the one he gestured as hers. Abbey gave him a quizzical look until it sunk in that whatever was happening was important enough that the Chief of Surgery needed to be present for at least her portion of it. She took a seat in the wooden chair beside him and stared at the stern-faced woman in front of her. Maria, she'd introduced herself as she adjusted her metal-framed glasses on the tip of her nose.

"I canceled patients for this, so if we could cut to the chase..." Abbey began.

"Certainly," Maria replied. "Dr. Foster is accusing you of a number of charges, including slander, sexual harassment, and stalking."

"Stalking? You can't be serious." Abbey chuckled and turned to Rob. "Rob?"

"Abbey, we are serious. THIS is serious."

"Fine, it's serious. Being serious doesn't make it true. If anyone was the harasser, it was him. And slander and stalking? Give me a break!"

"He's on the record as saying that you two had an affair and when he called it off and threatened to tell Jed, you became enraged and made up this whole story."

"It's not true."

"We'll need an official statement from you."

"So that's what this is about? You're questioning me?"

"We need to get your side of the story."

"My side of the story is that it's a lie. Every word."

Rob added, "It's not as easy as that. You have to address it, point by point, detail by detail."

"I have to address what? An alleged affair? I can't prove a negative." She became more and more agitated as Rob and Maria exchanged a glance. "The burden of proof is on him."

"Abbey..." Rob started, hesitating and avoiding her stare. "We need to investigate. But in the meantime, you've been relieved of all teaching duties."

"What?"

"He says that you've been overly friendly with some of the male residents."

"You have got to be kidding me! Rob!"

"It sounds crazy, I agree. It doesn't sound like you at all, but you have to understand the position I'm in. I can't rely on what I know about you. I have to take these accusations seriously."

"What does that mean?"

"Any student, intern, or resident on your service will be transferred, effective immediately."

"This is absurd, Rob. It's absolute nonsense!"

"I agree with you, but my hands are tied."

"Tied by whom?" she prodded. "No one treats trainees better than I do."

"Abbey, the seriousness of the allegations makes it mandatory for us to protect..."

"Protect them from me? How can you say that with a straight face?" She took a breath to calm herself down. "Did to talk to them?"

"Who?"

"The residents? Did you ask them?"

"Not yet," he told her. "These kinds of charges can cost you hospital privileges."

"Not just hospital privileges," Maria informed her. "These charges are serious enough that if there's any reason to believe they're true, they will likely have to be reported to the state medical board. You could lose your license."

Like Jed said, Abbey needed a lawyer. She started to come to terms with that.

* * *

The rest of the day was a blur. Abbey canceled her clinic schedule and had gone straight to Jed's office, where they called Pat to set up a meeting for the following morning. They then drove back to the farm. Abbey soaked in a hot bath while Jed greeted their daughters at the bus stop and made them an afternoon snack. Ellie had wondered why her parents were home in the middle of the day, but Zoey didn't care. She jogged alongside her father back to the house and enjoyed the jokes he told to keep her entertained.

Abbey tried to hide her distraction. She said she had a headache and sometime after dinner, when Jed sent their girls upstairs to finish their homework, she stepped out on the deck for some much-needed fresh air. She gazed at the fields and pastures of the farm, remembering fondly the first summer they moved in and all the nights she spent relaxing - and often falling asleep - curled up with Jed on the porch swing after a hard day at the hospital. It seemed comical, the struggles of the past. They were nothing compared to what she was facing now.

It was dark and a cold breeze prompted her to pull on her long sweater to cover the tee she wore underneath. Jed watched her from the sidelight before he grabbed his jacket and joined her. She heard the door open, but didn't turn around. From behind, he circled his arms around her waist and she cuddled up against his chest, taking in the warmth of his body.

"Say the word and I'll have a talk with him man-to-man," he whispered in her ear.

"You mean fist-to-face."

"Yes, I do."

"Don't even joke about it."

"Who said I'm joking? I think I've been pretty damn good at exercising restraint thus far, but enough is enough. Any other man would have beaten him to a pulp by now."

"I didn't marry any other man. I married you, and your ability to handle conflict with a measure of restraint is one reason why."

A moment of silence passed before he joked, "And here I thought it was my talents in the bedroom."

She turned to face him, still engulfed in his embrace. "Your restraint drew me in. It was your bedroom talents that got me to the altar."

He felt her hands slip to his rear. "Speaking of restraint."

Abbey chuckled, then placed a kiss on his lips. "Promise me something?"

"Anything."

"No matter what happens, you won't lose faith in me?"

He tilted his head, compassion in his eyes. He wasn't used to seeing her so vulnerable and insecure. "Honey, I love you more than anything in the world and nothing - absolutely nothing - is going to change that."

Abbey felt like she was on the edge of a meltdown. The reassurance that Jed brought her the night before had vanished and she was back to feeling a mix of anxiety and fear. Deep down, she knew she had done nothing wrong, but with the accusations hanging over her, she didn't know if she'd be able to convince others of that. More importantly, she still feared that as she moved forward with her charges against Alex, he'd push back harder and harder and that in the end, it would be Jed who would ultimately carry the scars of this fight.

* * *

Inside, there was a different battle brewing.

Zoey marched to her sister's room with a purpose. She opened the door without knocking to find the older girl at her desk. "Ellie, you didn't help me with my worksheet."

"You mean I didn't do it for you. I'm not doing it anymore, Zo. I told you that last night."

"But this is a take-home quiz."

"So do it."

"I don't know how."

"And you won't for as long as I do it for you."

"Ellie, it's a quiz," Zoey said again.

"So use your book."

"Elllllliiiieee," she whined.

"I said no. Leave me alone about it."

"But it's due tomorrow. What am I supposed to do?"

"Learn it on your own, like the rest of the world."

"Please..."

"Zoey, I said no! Now get out of my room!"

"Why are you being so mean?" She waited for a response, but Ellie ignored her. "Fine, but when I fail it'll be all your fault!"

Ellie stared at her for a solid minute. She hated herself for the situation she had unintentionally created. She'd enabled Zoey for so long that now, she really was in a position to fail without her interference. She wanted to help her, wanted to teach her so that Zoey would learn all the things she was supposed to already know, but the bigger issue was Zoey's reluctance and the entitlement that convinced her cheating was okay.

"No, it'll be your fault for refusing to let me teach me how to do it. You always want to take the easy way out. You're so spoiled."

"I am not!"

"How many times have I told you that I'll teach you how to do it yourself? You always say no because you know I'll bail you out at the last minute."

"You're my sister. You're supposed to help me."

"Yeah, and I'm going to help you by letting you figure it out for yourself this time."

"That's not helping."

"Yes, Zoey, it is. When you get older, you'll realize that."

Zoey panicked. "Ellie, please. I'll fail if you don't help. PLEASE? Just this one time and then I'll let you teach me, I promise. PLEASE?"

Ellie took a sharp breath. "Give it to me!"

"Thank you!" Zoey jumped with a smile as she left her worksheet on Ellie's desk and skipped back to her own room.

Ellie looked it over, closed her book, and marched downstairs. She'd had enough. She had no intention of letting this continue and the only way to stop it was to tell her parents what they'd done. She glanced around the house, then spotted her mother's shadow on the porch. She stormed outside before she lost her nerve.

"I have to talk to you!"

"Ellie, we're in the middle of something," Jed told her. "Can it wait?"

"No, it can't." And without another second of hesitation, she blurted out, "Zoey's been cheating on her math homework for months and I've been helping her."

"What?" Abbey narrowed her eyes in confusion.

"I've been doing her homework for her."

"What are you talking about? I check her homework every night."

"I do the work on notebook paper and then she copies it over on her worksheet or in her notebook. When you check it, it's in her handwriting because she copied my work."

Stunned by the confession, Jed led the way back into the house. His eyes never left Ellie as he called upstairs for his youngest daughter. "Zoey, get down here!"

Zoey emerged seconds later, jovial and oblivious. She bounded down the steps and joined her family. It was only when she reached the bottom landing that she realized something had happened. "What's wrong?"

"Ellie says you've been cheating on your math homework."

Whether it was childhood naivete, entitlement, or both, Zoey never expected that Ellie would tell on her. Slapped with a betrayal she couldn't even comprehend, her stomach did flip-flops as she fidgeted in place. Impulsively, she replied, "No I haven't! Ellie's lying!"

"No, I'm not!" Ellie pulled out the take-home quiz. "Here's the quiz she was supposed to do tonight. Ask her to do it."

Abbey took the worksheet and gave it to her youngest daughter. "Go ahead, Zoey."

Zoey thought she was going to vomit. Her eyes welled with tears. She felt manipulated and tricked. She looked at her mother and with a soft, pleading voice, she said, "It's open book. I need my book."

"You do?" Abbey immediately grew suspicious. "These questions are pretty easy, Zoey. You've been doing them for homework all year. In fact, you had a very similar question to number 3 on your homework just the other night. You should be able to do it without your book."

"I need my book," Zoey insisted, tears now rolling down her cheeks.

"How would you go about answering question 3? You don't have to give me the right answer; just tell me how you would start the problem."

"I don't remember."

Abbey took the worksheet from her, disappointed.

"She's can't subtract either," Ellie said. "Ask her."

Never in her life had Zoey felt so alone and vulnerable. She worshiped both her sisters, but it was Ellie she idolized. Ellie was the one who taught her how to blow bubbles, taught her how to play kickball and jump rope. It was Ellie who spent hours teaching her to ice skate and helping her ride a two-wheeler for the first time, even tending to her bloody knee when she fell on the sidewalk, cleaning it up, bandaging it, and sealing it with a kiss until Abbey returned from work. Ellie protected her in the schoolyard, stood up for her if other kids gave her a tough time, and often dried her tears if they made her cry.

Zoey thought that Ellie would always protect her, but what she felt in that moment was the intensity of a betrayal she didn't expect. She was cornered and she had to fight back.

Exposed and humiliated, Zoey yelled, "I HATE YOU, ELLIE!"

And with that declaration, Zoey shoved Ellie so hard the older girl fell against the console in the foyer, knocking over a glass vase that shattered into a million pieces. Abbey reached for her middle daughter as Zoey ran up the steps, Jed fast on her heels. He was beside himself, shocked by what he witnessed and determined not to miss a beat. Zoey had always been more aggressive than her sisters, but he never thought, in his wildest dreams, that she'd intentionally hurt Ellie. He grabbed Zoey by her arm and forcefully hustled her back downstairs.

"Apologize to your sister right now," he demanded.

Sobbing, Zoey practically squeaked her words. "I'm sorry."

Jed kneeled down to her level and looked her in the eye, his hands firmly on her shoulders. "I don't ever want to see what I just saw ever again. Do you understand?"

Zoey nodded.

Abbey caught her breath, but it wasn't enough to quell the anger. She and Jed needed a few minutes to process the scene. She stared at her youngest daughter and in an unforgiving tone, she said, "Go to your room."

Zoey took off as fast as she could. They heard the taps of her feet on the stairs and then the slam of her bedroom door before Jed turned his attention to Ellie.

"Are you okay?" he asked as Abbey grabbed the broom and dustpan to begin cleaning up the glass.

"Yeah."

"I'm sorry she pushed you. That was totally unacceptable and she'll be punished for it."

"I'm fine."

Husband and wife worked together to clean up the mess and Ellie stood by uncomfortably waiting for the inevitable.

"How long has this been going on?" Jed finally asked her.

"Since November," Ellie admitted with no small amount of shame. She shrugged as both her parents sighed. "I tried to tell you earlier, but I couldn't."

"Why not?"

"She asked me not to. She begged me. I didn't want to snitch."

"Sometimes you have to snitch," Jed said.

"You're older," Abbey added. "You know better."

And there it was, the same line she'd heard spoken to Elizabeth countless times over the years. She used to think nothing of it, but Ellie now knew exactly how Liz must have felt every time she and Zoey got into mischief when Liz babysat them. She stared down at the hardwood floor where she shuffled her feet in silence; anything to avoid eye contact and see the disappointment she imagined in her parents' eyes.

"So I get in trouble and she gets off scot-free," she mumbled.

"What was that?" Abbey questioned her.

"I said I get in trouble and Zoey gets off scot-free."

"No, she's not going to get off scot-free. We'll deal with her, believe me. But that doesn't mean you weren't also wrong to keep silent and help her do what she did."

"She couldn't wrap her mind around word problems, even the simple ones. The first time I did it for her, she copied my answers and I thought she'd let me teach her, but she kept making excuses. She was always too busy or too uninterested to learn. Then, she came to me again for help and I did it again. And then again and then again. She never wanted to learn how to do it herself."

"So you just kept doing it for her." Abbey shook her head.

"She kept saying she was stupid."

"She's not."

"I know she's not! But she thinks she is!" Ellie lowered her voice then. "I felt bad. She guilted me into it. I had no choice."

"There are always choices, Ellie. You could have come to us. That's what we're here for."

"I'm sorry."

"Me too," Abbey replied harshly.

"I knew this would happen."

"What?"

"I'm coming to you now and I'm the one getting yelled at."

"No one's yelling at you."

"You're blaming me."

"The only thing we're blaming you for is not telling us. How many times have we told you that you don't have to have all the answers? You're a kid. Your only job is to know when to ask for help. You never do that. You try to handle everything on your own instead of telling us when you're in over your head."

"I was trying to protect my sister."

"By lying to us."

Ellie realized she was getting nowhere. In her view, her parents weren't even trying to understand her position and her mother's stance made her bitter and resentful. "You always do this. Whenever Zoey does something wrong, you think it's someone else's fault. You baby and coddle her. That's why she's so spoiled."

Abbey was genuinely surprised by that accusation. "What?"

"It's true, Mom. You're so protective of her. Zoey can do no wrong in your eyes. No one says it out loud, but it's completely true. You think she's perfect."

"That's not even a little bit true, Ellie," Jed intervened.

"You defend her too," she accused her father. "She's your favorite and everyone knows it. You baby her as much as Mom does. Of course you're not going to see my side. Neither of you are."

"Wait a minute, am I hearing this right? After everything that's happened over the past 5 months and everything that just happened in the last 5 minutes, you're pissed at US?"

"You don't know what it was like keeping this secret for her! You don't even care!"

"It's not our fault you didn't come to us sooner."

"Maybe if you weren't in Washington all the time, I wouldn't have to come to you at all. Maybe you would have known what was happening in your own house!"

"That's enough, Ellie." Abbey shot her an angry glare. "Go to your room."

Ellie looked at her parents. They were furious, that was obvious. But it was more than that. So hurt by Zoey's outburst and then the blame she felt from her mother, she'd lashed out and hurt them deeply. She was remorseful, but still reeling and overwhelmed by the flood of emotions inside, she walked away silently without the apology they deserved.

She disappeared upstairs as Abbey gently took Jed's hand. Of all the things said and done that night, that last remark from Ellie was the most cutting and while it stung them both, it was Jed who was visibly shaken by it.

"She didn't mean it," Abbey said.

"The few times in my life I talked to my father that way, he washed my mouth out with soap."

"Thank God you're not your father."

He heaved a sigh at that dose of reality. He loved his girls and wanted them to respect him, not fear him. "Yeah."

"Jed..."

"I'm okay."

"She was upset."

"I know," he said softly. "I do."

And he did. Still, Ellie's words wounded him. In the back of his mind, Jed always had doubts about the political life he'd chosen. He was honored to serve his district, his state, and his country, but it came at a cost, as he'd just been reminded. His family took top priority and he wondered how much longer he - or they - could excuse his absence.

Abbey wrapped her arms around him and together, they started upstairs to their bedroom to begin yet another sleepless night.

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

Series: Snapshots of the Past

Story: Crossroads

Chapter 7

Disclaimer: The characters depicted in this story belong to NBC, WB, Aaron Sorkin, and John Wells. We're just borrowing them for some fun :)

Previously: Jed continued to talk Abbey into seeking legal counsel as Alex smears her name and reputation; Jed promised to stand by Abbey; Ellie told her parents about helping Zoey cheat on her math assignments; Zoey pushed Ellie

Summary: Jed and Abbey lay down the law with Zoey; a meeting with Pat Carr, their attorney, proves to be overwhelming for husband and wife

* * *

Ellie wished it would stay dark forever. She lay on her side under a sky blue comforter she'd fished out of the chest at the foot of her bed. It was her winter comforter. Big and bulky, she only used it on the coldest of nights. But tonight, she didn't care about the temperature outside. She had run up to her room after the fight with Zoey and her parents, and headed immediately for the chest to pull it out and curl up under it, like a shelter that hid her from the world. There, her tears fell silently and she lay motionless as her mind refused to let her forget.

"Maybe if you weren't in Washington all the time, I wouldn't have to come to you at all. Maybe you would have known what was happening in your own house!" she'd screamed at her father.

She remembered his expression. His forehead crinkled, his lips parted, his eyes widened then narrowed in a mix of shock and hurt. She'd never forget that look. She'd never forgive herself for causing it. He wasn't even the one that she was mad at. Sure, Jed favored Zoey, Ellie always believed, so his defense of her wasn't surprising. But it was her mother who let her down. Abbey protected Zoey. It was a fact the whole family knew and understood. She blamed herself still for Zoey's premature birth and her rough start to life, alone and isolated in an incubator in that NICU. It didn't matter that Zoey was now healthy and not at all the fragile little girl their mother considered her to be; all Abbey cared about was protecting her from anything that would hurt her ever again. Zoey was coddled and Ellie was certain that was the basis for her entitled and spoiled behavior. Still, Abbey was reasonable and Ellie expected that when it came down to it, she'd understand that Zoey was wrong and that she was simply the victim in all of this. But that didn't happen and all she could do was sigh in exasperation at the feeling of helplessness that consumed her.

She glanced at the clock and kicked the covers aside to get up and shower before her parents began to stir.

A half hour later, she was back in her room, her hair damp with curls as she stuffed folders and binders into her backpack. She grabbed a sweater to pack on top for her History class, which was held in a lecture hall that was notorious for a cold draft that leaked through the windows. Her bedroom door was wide open, but she didn't hear the footsteps that approached closer and closer and stopped in her doorway.

"Going to school or running away?"

Ellie turned to see her father staring back at her. "It's a busy day."

"Must be," he agreed. "This is the first time you've been up, showered, and ready for school before the first round of the obnoxious buzz of your alarm clock."

Ellie was the snooze-button queen. She ignored his jab and instead, threw her backpack over her shoulder and passed directly by him on her way downstairs. "See you tonight."

"I remember a time when you used to ask permission before leaving the house."

"I want to get there early."

"Before the sun comes up?"

"I like the dark."

"Ellie, come on." Jed turned her around. They each took a deep breath as Ellie looked away.

"What if I lied?" she asked softly.

"What?"

"What if I lied about Zoey? About what she did? About the cheating? What if I made it all up?" She was desperate to end the conflict. All she wanted was for it all to go away and everyone to be happy again.

"Why would you do something like that?"

"Because I was sick of her. You guys favor her and it made me mad. So I lied to get her in trouble."

Jed took a deep breath. "If you lied, you'd be in a hell of a lot of trouble." He looked her in the eye. "But I don't think that's what happened."

"It is what happened. Ground me, take away my allowance, punish me however you want."

"You're doing a pretty good job of punishing yourself."

"No, I'm not."

"You didn't make it up, Ellie. I know you didn't. You wouldn't do a thing like that." He put his arms around her. Her face buried against his shirt, Ellie let go and allowed her tears to fall. "This really sucks, I know."

Abbey watched from down the hall, framed in the doorway of the master bedroom. She approached softly, wanting to offer Ellie some comfort, but unwilling to interrupt the touching scene between father and daughter. She stood at the side until Jed acknowledged her with a nod. Ellie pulled out of her father's embrace then and with her tear-stained face and wet dark lashes, she glanced up at her mother.

"I want to go to school," she told her.

"Your hair's still wet." Abbey ran a finger over her damp locks.

"That's okay."

"We're going to have a family breakfast this morning."

Ellie shook her head. "No, I don't want to."

"I think we should."

"I don't."

"Ellie."

"You never listen to me. You think that because I'm a kid, I can't make my own decisions."

"What decisions?"

Jed and Abbey followed her into her room.

"I'm telling you I don't want breakfast. I don't want to talk to Zoey. I just want to go to school."

"It's too early for school," Abbey returned. "And as for Zoey, she's your sister. You can't just ignore her. We have to talk about this."

"Why, so you can take her side? That's what you're going to do, I know it."

"This isn't about sides."

"Yes, it is. To me, it is. You always stand up for her, no matter what she does. That's why she gets away with this stuff."

"She got away with it for as long as she did because neither of you told us what was going on."

"Of course you're going to blame me for that."

Confused by her daughter's reaction, Abbey looked at Jed, then back at Ellie. "I don't understand all this anger toward us."

"Then we're even because I don't understand why you got mad at me last night."

"Because of the way you spoke to us and the fact that you've been lying to us for months."

"I didn't lie."

"A lie of omission is still a lie. Your father and I will never excuse nor condone being lied to and there are consequences for that."

"Zoey caused all of this."

"Her behavior was deplorable, I'll give you that. But there's such a thing as personal responsibility, Ellie. No one can make you do something you know is wrong." Abbey softened her tone then. "Zoey's going to be held accountable. I'm about to say the same thing to her, if that makes you feel any better."

"It doesn't."

Nothing Abbey said would have changed how Ellie felt in that moment. She had that same Bartlet stubborn streak her mother and father shared and she wasn't about to be swayed into seeing things from their point of view.

Acknowledging it was better to discuss the situation later, Jed and Abbey backed away and stepped out of the room. They regrouped with a quick embrace and mutual reassurance about how they'd chosen to handle things. Jed ran his hands up and down Abbey's arms and planted a kiss on her lips. Abbey smiled at him. Her eyes then wandered across the hall to Zoey's room. Jed shook his head. He was too angry to calmly discuss this with Zoey. He gestured downstairs and Abbey nodded in response. She wanted to do this together, but she wouldn't force him. She sighed as he walked away, then swallowed hard and knocked on Zoey's door.

Like Ellie, Zoey didn't respond. Abbey knocked a second time and when she heard nothing, she turned the knob to find her youngest daughter lying on her bed, face down and turned to the side, motionless. Abbey approached and kneeled down, where she saw Zoey's red, puffy eyes staring back at her.

The seven-year-old asked in a small, feeble voice, "Do you hate me?"

Abbey ran a hand over her strawberry locks. "No, sweetheart, I could never, ever hate you."

"Does Daddy hate me?"

"No, he doesn't. We love you, Zo," she told her. "We will always love you. We are concerned about you though."

"And you're mad?"

"Yes, we're mad. You deceived us for months." She rose to her feet and took a seat at the foot of the bed as she took Zoey's hand to encourage her to sit up.

"I'm sorry."

"Are you, Zoey? Or are you just sorry for getting caught?"

Zoey pondered that for a moment. "Both."

"You caused a lot of trouble. You hurt Ellie very deeply and I'm not even talking about when you pushed her, which you had no right to do."

"I know."

"You never lay a hand on anyone. It's wrong. You know that, don't you?" Zoey nodded. "Do you know how much she loves you? How protective she is of you? She's a person who will always be in your corner. And you took her for granted. You really damaged your relationship with her."

"I love Ellie. I didn't mean to hurt her."

"I understand, but you did. It's going to take a lot of work for you to make it up to her...to all of us, including yourself."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean you're going to prove to yourself that you can do your own work. Starting tonight, we're going to go over every single math lesson since the beginning of the school year and you are going to do every homework assignment and every problem in every chapter of your textbook, even the problems that weren't assigned."

"That's going to take a long time."

"Yes, it is, most likely the rest of the school year, maybe even into summer break. But friends, slumber parties, pool parties, and everything else will come second to studying until your dad and I are satisfied you've learned your lesson, academically and otherwise."

"But I don't understand math."

"That's what I'm here for. I'll help you understand it."

"What if I can't?"

"You can...and in the meantime, you're going to work on repairing your relationship with your sister and rebuilding your trust with me and Dad."

"You don't trust me anymore?"

"I want to. You have to prove to me that I can."

"I don't know how to prove it."

"Don't lie to us. Always tell us the truth, even if it's something you don't think we want to hear." Zoey bowed her head until Abbey cupped her chin to lift it up. "It's going to be okay. It's just going to take some work. Okay?"

"Okay."

"I meant what I said, Zoey. We will always love you, no matter what. You believe me?"

Zoey nodded. "Yeah."

"Good. Now, let's go wash your face and get ready for breakfast."

Abbey helped her up and as Zoey headed to the bathroom, Abbey headed downstairs to start breakfast, a pang of guilt still gnawing at her. To the world, she came across as a no-nonsense mother who understood her job to be raising her young daughters to be model citizens who were strong, confident, and self-sufficient women. But inside, she struggled with self-doubt, especially on days like today.

Was she doing the right thing with Ellie, she wondered. Her conversation with Zoey had certainly gone a lot better. Was it because Ellie was right when she said that Abbey always protected her youngest daughter? She rejected the notion immediately because she knew, without a doubt, that she loved all three of her girls equally, but had she been subconsciously favoring Zoey? Were her rules and standards objective, her consequences fair? She liked to think so, but being a mother wasn't easy and she sometimes second-guessed herself.

With another sigh, her third of the morning, she poured a cup of coffee and took a sip as she and Jed prepared to make banana pancakes and pack brown-bag lunches for the girls.

* * *

Breakfast hadn't gone exactly as Abbey had planned. Instead of eating pancakes, which she ordinarily loved, Ellie opted for a bowl of cereal that she barely even ate. Abbey watched her make trails in the milk with her spoon until she finally pushed it aside and asked to leave for school. She wanted her to stay, but this was what Ellie hated most: silent tension.

Across from her, Zoey settled in quietly. She also preferred cereal, but unlike every other Tuesday when she'd energetically dig through the box of Lucky Charms for all the marshmallows she could get, she sat in her chair and calmy poured milk over whatever came out of the box. She didn't make eye contact. She didn't even fidget.

"Can I go?" Ellie asked again, her soft voice breaking the silence.

"Yes," Abbey relented. It broke her heart to see her girls hurting. But she wasn't going to force Ellie to stay and endure an interaction that was strained from the start. "Straight home from school, okay?"

"Fine." Ellie grabbed the jacket she'd hung on the back of her chair, hoisted her backpack over her shoulder, and practically ran out of the house.

"Bye, Ellie," Zoey mumbled weakly. She knew this was all her fault. She knew it even before her conversation with Abbey. But she was at a loss for what to do now. "She's still mad at me."

"Yes, she is." Jed pushed out his chair and picked up the bowl abandoned by Ellie and his own dish to transfer to the sink. "You have a lot of work to do to make it up to her. To everyone."

Zoey lowered her gaze in response to her father's stern response. "I don't know how to fix it."

"It starts with taking responsibility. Mom and I are meeting with your teacher later this week. You're coming with us."

"I am?"

"You're going to tell her what you did." Jed was firm about that as he rinsed the dishes.

"WHAT?!"

That's right."

"NO! Mommy?" Zoey looked to Abbey for help, but there was no response. Panicked, she pleaded with her parents, "Please don't make me! She'll hate me!"

"She won't hate you," Abbey assured her. "But she will likely give you more work to do and put some sort of remediation or disciplinary plan into action."

"What does that mean?"

"It means there will be consequences at school, just like at home."

Zoey's eyes filled with tears and she began to cry. "Why are you making me do this?"

"Because it's the right thing to do."

"I don't want to tell her. I don't. I can't."

"Yes, you can, Zoey. What you did was wrong - it was wrong on so many levels - and you need to own up to it." Jed dried his hands on a towel.

"I'm telling you I can't..."

"And I'm telling you that you can, and you will, " he said without wavering. He walked up behind her then and dropped a kiss to the top of her head. "I love you and I'll be right there with you. I'll even hold your hand if you want, but you are going to do this."

And with that, he left as Zoey angrily pushed her bowl across the table with such force, Abbey had to catch it before it fell off the other side and crashed to the floor.

* * *

A light rain started to fall later that morning. Fog lingered over the road as Jed and Abbey headed to their attorney's office on a quiet drive over the hills on the outskirts of Manchester. Abbey stared out the passenger's seat window, distracted in her own little world, reflecting on what her dispute with Alex had become. His allegations were more serious than she first thought and she'd finally realized that Jed was right about seeking legal advice to minimize the damage to her reputation and her career. She just hoped it wasn't too late.

Jed glanced over at her. Once, then a second time.

"You think Ellie was right?" he asked. "Do you think we baby Zoey?"

Abbey snapped out of her daze and looked at him. "By 'we' do you mean me?"

"No, I mean us."

"Zoey isn't as independent as Ellie and Liz."

"Or is she?" Jed pondered. "She certainly ran the show when it came to this stunt."

"She asked me if you hated her."

With that, he softened his approach. "I don't."

"I told her that," she replied almost as quickly.

A brief silence passed between them before he spoke again. "I still can't believe it, Abbey. How could she...they...do something like this? We taught them right from wrong."

"And the billion shades of gray in between."

"There is no gray here," he insisted. "We're on the same page, aren't we?"

"Yes, of course we are. I was just finishing your sentence, that's all." It started to rain harder and Abbey took that opportunity to change the subject. "Don't forget that Liz and Doug are coming over for dinner, if they don't cancel because of the weather."

"That would be such a Doug move, to cower in the house because of a little bit of rain."

"A little bit of rain?" She faced him. "Do you hear that wind?"

"So it's a little windy. He's still a wuss."

She chuckled. "So you've said."

"Are you going back to work after this?"

"No, I cleared my schedule. I didn't know what was waiting for me today."

Jed nodded in acknowledgment of the stress and anxiety she felt. He lowered one hand from the steering wheel and slipped it under hers. Palms touching and fingers laced, they exchanged one final glance as Jed pulled in to the circular drive of the old colonial building.

* * *

"And then, I slapped him and I left the room." It seemed like the thousandth time that Abbey had to retell the story. She wondered if she'd ever stop retelling it or would this drag on until she was so sick of feeling humiliated that she'd surrender and drop the allegations.

"Did he follow you out?" Pat Carr didn't sit behind his desk. For this conversation with the Bartlets, a couple he'd known and counseled for years, he sat in a large leather armchair, a legal pad in his lap, glasses on the tip of his nose, scribbling notes under the dim light from floor lamp above.

"No," she said. "That was the last time I saw him until the night of the hospital gala, which I've already told you about."

"I need you to be honest with me, Abbey," Pat started. He was an older gentlemen, blunt without apology. "Were you having a sexual affair with this man?"

Jed grimaced. He understood the necessity of the question, but he hated hearing it.

"No," Abbey answered. Her tone strong and forceful, but devoid of emotion.

"So there's no truth in his allegation that he ended the relationship and the only reason you're accusing him of this is because you're afraid Jed will find out about your affair?"

"As I said, there was no affair."

"He says it started with an emotional affair."

"That's not true either."

"He says you talked to him about the conflicts at home."

"There were no conflicts at home," Jed interrupted.

"He says there were, revolving around Elizabeth and her pregnancy."

Husband and wife both shifted uncomfortably in their seats. Jed looked at Abbey. She didn't return his stare and for one solid, tortuous minute, he wondered why. Was she ashamed? Was it true? He looked back at Pat, the anger of the question now replaced by defeat and frustration in the lack of answer. Pat kept his eyes on Abbey and the two men awaited her response in silence.

"Elizabeth's pregnancy was in the paper," Abbey finally said. "Did it come up between me and Alex once or twice? Maybe, I don't remember to be perfectly honest. We talked about our days, about things that came up. There was never an agenda. I NEVER sought him out to lean on him or cry on his shoulder. It wasn't like that."

"What was it like?"

"Lizzie came to the hospital once to see me and he met her, so..." She lost her train of thought with a flash of memories. "Yeah, he may have asked how I was holding up after she left. I can't remember."

"Why can't you remember?"

"Because I can't," she snapped at him. "We were friends. That's all. Anything I said to him, I would have said to Millie."

"Did you talk to Millie about Liz?" Pat asked.

"Yes, I did. We're both mothers and she understood how worried I was about Liz marrying Doug."

"But Alex isn't a mother...or a father for that matter."

"No, he's not."

"So your motives in confiding in him..."

"Are you trying to make this dirtier than it was?"

"No, I'm asking you the same questions his attorney will. I want you prepared for what comes next."

"I may have mentioned my concern about Liz. I may have said something about her wedding, about my objection..." her eyes landed on Jed. "...OUR objection to her getting married so young, dropping out of school without any kind of plan..." She trailed off to regain a stronger voice. "Regardless, it does not mean we had an emotional OR physical affair. I never told him anything private. I never betrayed Jed."

Jed remained quiet as Pat continued.

"Did he ever believe that you were more interested in him than you were? Did he make comments, maybe inappropriate innuendos?"

"No."

The conversation ended there for Jed. The voices faded, the words blurred. He thought about the friendship between Abbey and Alex and how many times he warned her about Alex's attraction, how many times he asked her to be careful, how many times he tried to express himself to her before she cut him off and threw accusations of jealousy at him. Yes, he was jealous, but he had every reason to be. He predicted Alex's lecherous advances would eventually catapult her into a compromising situation. If she'd listened, he thought, they wouldn't be here now, divulging the intimate details of their family to third parties who get paid to ask the intrusive questions.

Jed cleared his throat, then interrupted. "Excuse me."

Abbey watched as he stood and walked out the door. "Jed."

"I just need some air."

And with that, he was gone. The door closed behind him as Abbey's heart sunk. She'd already been annoyed that he didn't speak up when Pat interrogated her about the alleged emotional affair. She understood that only she had the answers, but part of her wanted Jed to intervene, to stand up for her and tell Pat that there was no way she had done such a thing. She wanted him so secure in his conviction that he'd shout it from the rooftops. The Jed she knew and loved would have done just that. But the Jed she saw today sunk into his seat and deferred to her.

Did he think she was lying? That she was misleading him? Did he believe Alex? She conjured up a multitude of scenarios in her mind, from Jed pacing outside, hurt and devastated by what he'd learned to him punching a wall to release all the pent-up frustration and anger toward Alex. She feared what was waiting outside the door and for a second, she feared that Jed wasn't. However improbable, she imagined him getting in the car and driving off without her, without even giving her a chance to explain.

That's what scared her most.

"Abbey?" Pat waved her back to reality and she shook her head to rid herself of the images. "Should we go on?"

She nodded.

TBC


	8. Chapter 8

Series: Snapshots of the Past

Story: Crossroads

Chapter 8

Disclaimer: The characters depicted in this story belong to NBC, WB, Aaron Sorkin, and John Wells. We're just borrowing them for some fun :)

Previously: Jed and Abbey punished Zoey for cheating; Ellie remained angry at her sister for roping her into her cheating scheme and for pushing her when confronted with what she had done, and was also angry at her parents for not showing her enough support; Jed and Abbey met with their attorney, Pat Carr, who informed them that Alex claims he and Abbey had an emotional affair; upon hearing Alex's latest allegation, Jed left the meeting

Summary: Abbey opens up to Jed to convince him that every word out of Alex's mouth is a lie; Ellie and Zoey continue to fight; two members of the family are involved in an accident that changes the Bartlets' lives forever

* * *

Jed paced under the shelter of a large oak tree as the rain continued to sprinkle the leaves and grass around him. He loved the sound of rain and getting wet never seemed to faze him. That afternoon, it was almost cathartic. So many conflicting emotions in his heart, it was overwhelming. Guilt. Anger. Jealousy. Fear. How could he leave Abbey alone with Pat to dig through the details of her friendship with Alex? How could he walk out on her like that? If he had to be honest, he was angry at her, not for being unfaithful to him - he never believed that - but for not listening to him when he warned her about Alex's feelings, for allowing the vulnerability that led to the hell they were trapped in now. There was no rational explanation to the jealousy he felt when he heard the accusations of an emotional affair, but there it was, seeped inside him, provoking a rage born from fear. What had she shared with him? What secrets? What bonds? Was this other man really his wife's confidante, he wondered.

He did the only thing he knew how to do when his emotions took over him - he lit a cigarette.

"What the hell was that?"

He turned around to see Abbey. The umbrella over her head cast a shadow on her face, but it didn't mask that incredulous look she gave him. She had every reason to be angry, he acknowledged, but part of him felt she had no right. She was the one who exposed them to this whole mess, after all.

"What?" he responded.

"Are we going to talk about what happened in there?"

"I couldn't stay and listen to you talk about him."

"I wasn't talking about him. I was answering questions that I was asked..."

"Because you couldn't stay away from him."

Abbey allowed for a silent moment to pass. Then, "And there it is."

"What?"

"Your anger. You've been angry about my friendship with him from the start."

"I didn't like it because of his feelings for you, but I accepted it because it was what you wanted," he replied. "You talked to him about our home life, Abbey. About us."

She softened with the realization that it was hurt more than anger he felt. "No, I didn't. Things were said in passing."

"It didn't sound like it."

There was an edge to that statement that required much more than reassurance. Abbey took a breath and began to back away. "I can't do this right now."

"You're going to walk away?"

"You walked away from me in there."

"What did you expect? Some man says you had an emotional affair with him, what did you expect from me?"

"I expected my husband to believe that would never happen." She shrugged, her own heartbreak showing. "Maybe that was too optimistic of me."

"I wish I had the strength to stay. I didn't want to leave you alone in there, but my stomach turned when I heard that. I felt like I was going to vomit. I could picture it in my head."

"Picture what?"

"You...and him. Sharing things...private things."

Abbey shook her head and shuffled her stance uncomfortably. "It didn't happen, Jed."

"What didn't happen?"

"Everything you're thinking right now."

"Okay, fine, then what DID happen?"

"I don't have the energy to stand here and defend myself to you when it's obvious you don't want to hear it. You're lost in this miserable fantasy and I just don't have the emotional capacity to convince you otherwise, not after I spent two hours being interrogated by Pat."

"I'm not interrogating you."

"You want me to share details of my interactions with him. It's a fine line."

"I never asked the questions that Pat asked. I tried to respect your privacy and your friendship with Alex." He thought about how ridiculous that sounded now.

"That's true," she admitted. "You did respect my friendship with him."

"So maybe cutting me some slack wouldn't be out of line."

He had a point, she conceded. "What do you want to know?

"Everything."

"Now? Out here? In the rain?"

"I need to know."

"Both our emotions are running high. I'm afraid whatever I say right now will result in you trying to catch me in a lie."

"I don't want to catch you in a lie. I'd love nothing more than to just move on with our lives without another word about Alex Foster ever again. But we can't because we're entangled in this legal nightmare that won't go away, and I'm sorry, but I can't help it if I still have questions."

"I don't remember every little thing that happened and in what order, Jed. I don't. That's not me being manipulative or playing games."

"I would never think you're being manipulative or playing games."

"I didn't keep a journal of this stuff; I didn't write it down. My memory is choppy. None of my interactions with him made a serious impact on me, so I didn't pay much attention to them. What I can tell you is that I never betrayed you. I was never unfaithful, I never broke my vows, I never told him any secrets we share." She waited a beat for him to reply and when he didn't, she went on, "That has to be good enough because I don't know what else to say."

"It is good enough."

"But?" She raised her brow, confident he wasn't finished.

"But..." He was reluctant to even say it because he knew how she would take it. Then again, if he demanded honesty from her, he had to follow suit. "You went to Chicago with him, Abbey," he said, a strain of defeat and vulnerability in his voice. "You were with him all weekend."

"That's what's bothering you?" She searched his eyes for a morsel of acknowledgment of the absurdity of his implication. "Are you forgetting that our daughter was with me that weekend?"

"I didn't forget."

"You think something could have happened between me and Alex with Ellie right there with us?"

"I'm just saying, he was in love with you and you went away with him."

"Look me in the eye and tell me you think I was unfaithful to you. Tell me you think I did something wrong, that I betrayed you. Tell me you think I was intimate with another man, emotionally or otherwise." Jed looked down, but Abbey continued. "Tell me you think I'm such a bad mother that I would screw another man with our daughter there with me."

He looked up at her. "Abbey..."

It was exactly what Abbey predicted - Jed couldn't do it. She was relieved in that moment to see the remorse all over his face.

"That's what I thought," she said. "You don't believe this. You're lashing out."

"Maybe I am a little," he admitted. "The thought that you're a bad mother has never even crossed my mind. I know how wonderful you are to our girls."

"When we're angry, things come out wrong."

"They do," he agreed.

"And you're definitely angry."

"Yes."

"Okay." Now they were getting somewhere. "You get to be angry and you get to lash out. Maybe I even deserve some of it."

"I'm just..." He trailed off, emotionally exhausted himself.

"What? Talk to me, Jed."

"I'm feeling all these things that I can't explain, even to myself."

"I know. That's why I don't want to go back and forth with you like this. At least not now when you're so upset. I want you to understand it's not because I'm trying to hide something. I'm not going to engage in this kind of dialogue because the only thing I have to hold on to right now is our marriage and our family. When the dust settles and all of this is over, I want both to still be intact."

"They will be."

"Right at this moment, I have doubts," she said, her voice soft. "Listen to me, Jed, you have every right to have questions. I would too if the situation was reversed. You deserve to have answers and I promise that I will answer anything you want me to. Just not in one sitting, not like this when you don't even know what answers you're searching for and I'm too exhausted to think straight. I need a break."

He nodded then, sensing the gulf widen between them and appreciating her effort to halt it. He put out his cigarette. "Let's go home."

Hands stuffed in his pocket, he led the way to their car and opened the passenger's side door for Abbey. She closed the umbrella as she climbed in, then pulled her seat belt across her lap without another word. Jed closed her door for her before he headed for the driver's seat.

* * *

It was a quiet day at the farmhouse. The girls were off to school and Jed worked in his study while Abbey cleaned up the kitchen in preparation for their family dinner with Liz and Doug that evening. She thought about canceling. The conflict between Ellie and Zoey was still brewing and now, the argument between her and Jed just added more fuel to what felt like a raging fire. She was emotionally spent from the anxiety of the chaos around her.

She wiped down the counter as she contemplated approaching Jed. Yes, he was angry. But she was angry too. She wanted him to believe her, no questions asked. She didn't want to have to constantly reassure him. But was that really fair? After all, this Alex saga threw him for a loop too and as a doctor, she knew better than anyone that in times of extreme psychological stress, people often regress and in true fight-or-flight fashion, they rely on whatever coping skills they can muster to make it through a crisis. For Jed, his insecurities came shining through and his jealous streak reared its ugly head. He'd realize it eventually, she thought, and that's when she'd reassure him and remind him how much she loved him.

As she wiped her hands on a dish towel, she decided she'd give him another hour or two to cool off. Any discussion between them now was sure to end in another slew of misunderstandings and hurt feelings. Instead, she decided to make her way to the family room and curl up on the sofa with her favorite book in hand, deciding it was better to unwind a bit before the girls got out of school. She'd been there only 10 minutes when she realized she couldn't stand the silence. She made her way to his study, where he usually retreated when he wanted to be alone.

Jed heard footsteps outside the door, then a knock. He looked up in time to see her framed in the doorway, the hallway light casting a glow on her auburn waves. He sat behind his desk, papers in front of him, but he hadn't been working. Like Abbey, he had trouble concentrating with this argument hanging over them. He returned her gaze and their eyes connected for a brief moment before the glimmer of awkwardness quickly vanished, replaced by a mutual stare of remorse and compassion. Twenty years of love and devotion radiated between them, even in the most heated of arguments.

When it was obvious he wasn't going to start, Abbey took the lead. She let herself in and closed the door behind her, then took the seat in front of him. "Twenty years ago, you made love to me for the first time."

He nodded. "I remember."

"You were my first lover, the only man I had ever slept with. You know that, right?"

Of course he did. He'd never forget that night, the way she looked at him, the way she held him, her anticipation in the moments before, and her reaction when he entered her body. It was obvious she'd never done this before. Neither had he. They were clumsy and inexperienced, but it didn't dim the magic of that intimate act or the physical and emotional bond that formed between them.

"Of course I do," he said.

"You're still the only man I've ever slept with, Jed. I have never loved anyone but you. I have never lusted after anyone but you. There have been no other men, no other crushes, no other fantasies."

"Abbey, you don't have to..."

"Yes, I do," she insisted. She waited for him to look into her eyes and she went on, "I have never so much as flirted with another man since I met you. You're the only one I've ever wanted; you're the only one I want now."

"Even after today," he said, more of a statement than a question.

"Even after today," she confirmed. "I'm not an idiot, Jed. I know that in the end, an affair would be a deal-breaker. I know that even if you didn't leave me, I'd lose such a big part of you that it would never be the same. And that isn't even the reason I wouldn't do it. The reason I wouldn't do it is because I am in love with you. Madly, deeply in love. You're the one who turns me on, who makes me feel things that other men can't. I have no desire to be intimate with anyone else. And if in some nightmarish alternate universe, I ever did, I wouldn't act on it. I would be honest with you, but I would never betray you. Whatever my shortcomings as a wife, I have remained true to my vows. I have been and will continue to be faithful and loyal to you."

He gave her another nod of the head and looked at his desk, too ashamed to face her. He said quietly, "You shouldn't have had to tell me that."

"You needed to hear it."

* * *

Elizabeth Anne Bartlet had changed her name. She'd dropped her middle name and became Elizabeth Bartlet Westin. She didn't consider the impact of the middle name Anne, the same middle name her mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother all shared. She thought of it as a filler. Elizabeth Anne, much like Abigail Anne, was hardly original, she argued. But once she removed it from her identity, it hit her like the weight of a ton of bricks. It was a family name and its significance to her Barrington roots is what made it a name worth holding onto.

Jed and Abbey weren't pleased when they heard, but they'd learned from the moment she told them she was pregnant that they had very little say over what she did anymore. They barely expressed an opinion when she told them and she assumed they didn't care. Everyone moved on, as they were prone to do these days, rather than wasting energy on discussing a decision that had already been made.

That happened a lot lately, Liz realized. She loved her new life. She didn't regret her decision to marry Doug and keep her baby, but her life was far from perfect and she knew that a large part of her discontent had to do with the trouble it had caused with her parents. Sure, they supported her - they hosted her wedding and put on a happy face for her sake - and if there was any doubt how much they loved her, that fact pretty much put an end to it. But things weren't the same and she wondered if they ever would be again.

As she dressed for dinner before she and Doug left for her parents' house that night, she turned to the side to see her pregnant belly in the mirror. She was 35 weeks along now; it was becoming more real everyday. She couldn't wait to deliver her baby, to meet her and hold her in her arms, to feed her and rock her to sleep. She'd be the best mother ever, she promised, as she remembered that she'd had such strong role models who taught her the nuances of parenting. Jed and Abbey weren't perfect - and Liz was certainly not shy in her criticism of them - but she knew how lucky she was to have them as her mom and dad.

"A few more weeks, baby doll," she whispered, looking down at her stomach as her baby kicked. "Just hold on a few more weeks."

Doug snuck up behind her, his torso against her back and his arms outstretched over her abdomen. "Are we going to tell your folks her name?"

"Not yet."

"How come?"

She turned to look at him. "It'll be such a big deal to them. I want just the right time. I want it to be perfect."

"How do you know it won't be tonight?"

"Just a feeling," she said. "I have a weird feeling about tonight."

"Then let's not go."

"We have to go. It'll crush them if we cancel," she insisted. "But don't say anything about the name until I do, okay?"

"Whatever you want."

Liz looked in the mirror again, smiling from ear to ear as she felt another kick. The baby always kicked when they talked about her; it was like she knew, Liz thought. It happened so often that the few times she didn't kick when they discussed her, Liz worried and poked at her abdomen until she felt her move. Perhaps that was the earliest sign of being an overprotective mom, but she didn't care. As long as her baby was happy and healthy, she'd work on calming her anxiety over time. For now, the only thing that mattered was the anticipation - and fear - of a normal pregnancy ending in a normal labor and delivery.

In five short weeks, Anneliese Abigail Westin would enter the world and change all their lives forever.

* * *

Growing up, Jed hated dinner parties, mainly because of all the drama that came before guests descended on the old Bartlet home. Nothing wound his father up into a frenzy more than the stress of insuring the family looked perfect for outsiders. The house had to be immaculate, every nook and cranny tucked neatly into place. Jed remembered that any hint of clutter had the potential to set him off, even something as minor as a single Lego piece sitting undisturbed in the center of the boys' playroom. John's rage made dinner parties so uncomfortable that when Jed knew his mom was planning one, it instantly paralyzed him with anxiety.

Marrying Abbey changed his outlook. The terror was gone and he soon learned how much he enjoyed entertaining. They had a specific routine - Abbey usually chose the menu and Jed and the girls did the shopping. He'd return with all the ingredients, take some flak for succumbing to their daughters' manipulation to buy things not on the grocery list, and he and Abbey would get to work together in the kitchen.

On that April day, their routine failed. Too fatigued by the events of the morning, Abbey retrieved a couple of chicken breasts from the fridge and scoured the pantry for ingredients they already had while Jed kept his distance as he re-evaluated the day. He had remained in his study and sat in his chair with his elbows resting on the desk. Abbey had been so honest with him and her candor just reinforced how silly he'd been to doubt her. He wanted to go after, but something kept him from doing it when she first left. Now, 30 minutes later, he decided he'd waited long enough. He shoved his chair back and made his way to the kitchen, approaching sheepishly with his hands in his pocket as he stopped in the entryway and watched her slicing cucumbers.

"Someone once said that the key to a successful marriage is falling in love with the same person over and over again," he announced. "I don't know who said it, but there it is." He waited until she glanced up at him and then he went on, "So, I'm thinking you and I are in pretty good shape because I'm madly, deeply in love with you too."

Abbey closed her eyes for a moment as she felt her muscles relax for the first time that day. "I'm pretty sure you're the one who said it."

"Nah, I stole it from someone; just can't remember who." He took a step closer to her side of the counter. "How do you put up with me when I'm being a jackass?"

"It's been 20 years. I'm used to it."

The stared at each other and shared a warm smile.

"I wouldn't hold it against you if you slapped me right now," he said. "Might knock some sense into me."

Abbey set down the knife and wiped her hands on a dish towel, then tucked a finger under his chin and leaned in to give him a kiss, her hand on his cheek as she pulled away afterwards. "I love you."

"I love you too," he replied. "What can I do to show you how much I support you?"

"The only thing I need you to do is forgive me for bringing him into our lives. Can you do that?"

"Of course I can."

"Right now?"

A little more hesitation this time. "Yes."

She sensed the hesitation. "Are you sure?"

He returned to the other side of the counter. "It's not about forgiveness, Abbey. I could forgive you for anything."

"You think I slept with him, even after everything I just said?"

"No, I don't. I really don't. I swear. Like I said this morning, I can't explain everything I'm feeling. What I can tell you is that there's this thing inside me. I can't describe it."

"Try. You can tell me anything, Jed. Be as blunt as you need to be. I can take it."

"If you really want to know, I wish you'd listened to me." He saw her expression change as she took in the words. "You dismissed me, my doubts about the friendship. You minimized it as the rantings of a jealous husband. You went to Chicago and I didn't even know he was going too until the last minute and then you thought I was overreacting when I got upset. Remember?"

How could she not? She recalled that day at the airport. She thought she'd told him, that he'd understood this was a business trip and nothing more. But she couldn't forget the look of shock on his face when he realized Alex would be going too. She never meant to hurt him and it was at this very moment that she realized how much she had.

"I do," she said, giving him a look of compassion.

"So I just...I need some time to get over it in this context. Okay?"

"Okay."

"It doesn't mean I don't love you or that I don't support you. And I want to be very clear, no matter what happened between us, no matter what friendship you formed with him, no matter what he THINKS happened in Chicago, you did not deserve what he did to you."

"Thank you for saying that."

"I've said it before."

"I know, but it means more that you said it now."

"Why?"

"Because I need to know you're in my corner, despite what happened today."

"I am always in your corner, Abbey. I always have been and always will be."

"I hope so because I don't know what's going to happen next. I've left myself open to so many rumors and allegations and I fully expect that he will take advantage of that."

"I do too. In fact, I'd guarantee it. He's going after your credibility."

"The thing is, I don't care," she said.

"Of course you do."

"No, I don't. He can say whatever he wants and I'll deal with the professional repercussions. The worst thing he could do to me is turn you against me."

"That is never going to happen."

"You walked out on me today," she reminded him. "When you walked out that door, my heart sank. All I could think about is how well Alex knows me. He knows the way to get to me is to come between us, to make you doubt me and cause a rift that wouldn't be easily repaired. That terrifies me."

"I shouldn't have left like that, you're right, but no one has the power to turn me against you," he assured her, his hands over her upper arms. "Ever."

He wrapped her in his embrace. His hold was strong. Protective. He inhaled the scent of her hair and gently held the back of her head when she buried her face in his shoulder. She was so vulnerable like this and it was only when they were alone that she let him see it. Like a victim of abuse confronting a despicable act of gaslighting, she doubted herself. She questioned her own motives, her own actions. Alex had made her question everything she knew about herself. She even blamed herself, much more than anyone else could have. She didn't verbalize any of it that day, but he saw it written all over her face.

Abbey pulled out of his arms and gave a single wipe to the tear dangling on her lower lash. She cleared her voice and steeled herself against the emotions that threatened to erupt and betray her calm demeanor. It could wait until later, she told herself. In the privacy of their bedroom later that night, she could be vulnerable with Jed and express all the fear and shame she felt, and she trusted that he would allow her to do that and continue to stand by her, as he promised.

* * *

Ellie sat by the window of the school bus and watched the drops of rain streak the window as the driver approached the bus stop. She had a light blue umbrella with her that she retrieved from her backpack and zipped her coat in anticipation of the cold April rain. She stepped down the stairs and jumped onto the sidewalk only to see her father waiting for her.

He smiled at her and Ellie reluctantly pulled down her umbrella to get in the car. Seeing her little sister in the back-seat, she opted for the front. Things were still tense between the girls and Ellie had rebuked Zoey's attempts at making up. She felt betrayed and bullied and her anger did a good job of masking her hurt feelings. She didn't speak the entire way home and neither Jed nor Zoey pushed her to.

Walking into the farmhouse, Ellie spotted her mother.

"Hey, how was school?" Abbey asked.

"Fine," Ellie mumbled on her way upstairs without so much as a pause.

It was out of character for her. She'd usually at least ask her mother how she was or share a highlight of her day at school. But it had been a rough academic year and Abbey sadly remembered that a few short months earlier, she also got the silent treatment when she forced Ellie to go to school, oblivious to the bullying her daughter endured at the hands of classmates. She watched now as Ellie disappeared to her room.

"She was like that all the way home," Jed told her.

"She's still mad," Zoey added.

Abbey took her younger daughter's jacket to hang it up to dry. "Zo, why don't you go upstairs and get started on your homework so you can visit with Lizzie later."

"Okay." The seven-year-old grabbed her backpack and started up to her room.

Jed addressed Abbey then. "I set up the meeting with her teacher."

"Friday?"

"Yeah."

"Does Zoey know?"

"I told her. She's pissed of course, but tough."

"I'll block my clinic schedule and join you," Abbey confirmed.

"How's dinner coming along?"

"Chicken is marinating. Can you put it in the oven in 30 minutes? I'm going to shower."

"Sure."

Abbey thanked him, then followed her daughters upstairs as Jed headed in the opposite direction toward the kitchen.

* * *

Showered and changed, Abbey sat at her vanity and took a blow dryer to her hair. She had just finished straightening her wavy auburn locks and gave herself a couple of spritz of spray when she heard Zoey scream down the hall. She quickly jumped to her feet to check on her and found Jed also racing up the steps. Husband and wife met in the hall to see Ellie standing at the doorway to her bedroom and Zoey on the ground in front of her.

"What's going on?" Abbey asked, offering her hand to help Zoey up.

"Ellie shoved me!" the little girl accused.

Jed and Abbey looked to Ellie.

"She wouldn't get out of my room so I escorted her out," the older girl explained.

"Aggressively enough to knock her to the ground?" Jed asked angrily.

"I didn't knock her to the ground. She slipped."

Zoey interrupted then, "I wouldn't have slipped if you hadn't shoved me out the door!"

The girls began to bicker until Abbey interrupted. "Enough!"

"Ladies, this is not going to be the dynamic in this house," Jed added in a calmer voice. "You are not to put your hands on each other for any reason. Is that understood? I'm not messing around. The next time this happens, the punishment will be severe."

"Then tell her to leave me alone!" Ellie argued.

"You're older and stronger. If you can't think of better ways to resolve conflict than putting your hands on your sister, come see me and I'll teach you."

"Of course, this again." Ellie rolled her eyes at her father. "I'm always to blame."

"Ellie, go to your room." Abbey stared her in the eye with a look that made it clear she was in trouble. "Don't come out until I come to get you."

The 12-year-old shook her head, furious at her mother and muttering under her breath as she bit her tongue before shouting something she didn't really mean, something she knew would crush Abbey. Elizabeth had done that once. Ellie remembered that day about five years ago. During a heated argument between Lizzie and Abbey over makeup of all things, Lizzie impulsively yelled 'I hate you!' She regretted it and apologized to their mother immediately, but Ellie never forgot the shock and hurt on Abbey's face.

Ellie wasn't like Lizzie though. While her older sister was more impulsive and temperamental, Ellie was usually quiet and reserved. She was sensitive to the feelings of others, even during conflict. Or at least, she used to be. She didn't understand what was happening inside of her now. She was a mess, at war with her emotions and behavior. She felt out of control. She couldn't believe she knocked Zoey down. Had she really shoved her that hard? If anyone else had hurt Zoey, she'd be the first in line to protect her, so she couldn't explain what came over her that made her react that way to the little sister she loved and adored.

Ultimately, she realized, it wasn't the time to figure it out. With Abbey's eyes on her still, she did what she was told. She retreated to her room, closed her door, and jumped on her bed. Wrapped up in the belief that she was misunderstood and alone, she cuddled under the covers as tears rolled down her face and soaked her pillow. Never had she experienced such rage and anger.

She knew she overreacted, knew she was in the wrong, but she was so confused. She was hurt, irritable, and overwhelmed, still reeling from everything that happened, and she couldn't help but remember the last time she felt those exact feelings - at school when she was bullied and physically assaulted. She hated herself for what she just did to Zoey. She was so mad that it was like something came over her and now that it was over, she struggled to compose herself. Her parents didn't understand. Zoey didn't understand. No one seemed to understand. Not even her.

Outside her room, Jed addressed the younger girl. "Zoey, are you hurt?"

"No."

"I don't want you bugging her again," Abbey said. "You know the rules. You're not allowed in her room unless invited."

"I just wanted to talk to her."

"When she's ready to talk, she will. Until then, leave her alone."

Heartbroken and scared that she had permanently damaged her relationship with Ellie, Zoey stared at the floor and nodded. "Okay."

* * *

It was 6 p.m. and as Jed and Abbey were back in the kitchen to put the finishing touches on dinner while awaiting Doug and Liz's arrival, Jed sensed there was something bothering his wife, something more than their disagreement earlier. She seemed distracted and frequently looked up from the kitchen counter as if listening for something before returning her attention to the task at hand. She was frazzled and appeared to simply be going through the motions. He watched her accidentally add turmeric to the salad instead of salt, sighing in frustration when she realized her mistake.

He gently took the bottle from her. "It's okay."

"I'm sorry, I don't know why I did that."

He did. "The girls are fine."

"No, they're not. I can't believe Zoey cheated and what she put Ellie through..."

"I know."

"And don't even get me started on Ellie. I don't know what got into her."

"Emotions."

"That's one word for it. I just hope there are no more outbursts. I think we've got all we can handle right now."

She was right about that, Jed acknowledged. He was glad that they now knew what had been going on with Zoey, but the way this whole thing escalated was so unexpected that neither he nor Abbey knew exactly how to deal with it. The girls had never before intentionally gotten physical with each other. The night that Zoey shoved Ellie was bad enough, but to see Ellie shove Zoey was even more jarring, not just because Zoey was smaller and weaker, but because it was so out of character for Ellie to do such a thing. They'd have to sit them both down, of course, and find a way to calm the hostility so they could interact in a healthy, productive way. In the meantime, they hoped for one night of peace and quiet.

"My prediction: they'll be on their best behavior tonight. They'll be so excited to see Lizzie and besides, they know we're serious about keeping their hands off each other. I doubt we'll see this happen again."

"From your lips..." Abbey dressed the salad after picking out the remnants of turmeric before she turned her attention to the rice. "Jed, didn't you add the saffron?"

"I was getting to it." He scanned the pantry and fumbled with the other items in the way. "No saffron."

"What do you mean no saffron?"

"Exactly what I said. I don't see it."

"It has to be there."

"I think we're out."

"How can there not be saffron?"

"I don't know, we must have used it up. It happens."

"Can you run to the market?"

"Seriously? For saffron, something we can easily do without?"

"You know how much Lizzie likes saffron rice."

"She can live without it."

"Jed," Abbey started. "I want everything to be perfect tonight."

"It will be. What are you..." He stopped as he remembered her words from that morning, that she wanted their family to be intact when the Alex mess was over. "Hey." He grabbed her by the hips and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Everything already is perfect. All that crap from earlier and the fight with the girls, none of it matters. Our family's just fine and it always will be."

Abbey gave him a loving smile. "I know."

"Then why are you so anxious?"

"I don't know."

He took a deep breath, then let go. "All right, I'll go the market."

"No, you don't have to."

"You're right, Lizzie does love saffron rice."

"I can go."

"No, it's fine. I'll go. I don't mind."

"Neither do I."

"Abbey, I got it." He started toward the other room to grab a jacket and his keys. "Need anything else?"

"Sugar for the tea."

"Got it."

"Tomato sauce."

"Tomato sauce?"

"I was going to put a little on the chicken."

"What if I wasn't going to the store?"

"I counted on the fact that you would if I asked."

Now he understood. "And saffron gave you the opening?"

"You could say that," Abbey gave a flirty smile as she followed him to the door. "I really can go."

"And I'll never hear the end of it. I'll go."

"We need dessert too."

Jed stopped. "What?"

"Maybe a cake or something."

"They don't need dessert."

"Jed."

He exhaled sharply just as he did anytime he was about to give in to her. "You're lucky you're so damn cute. I'll grab a cheesecake."

"German chocolate is what Lizzie likes."

A sigh in frustration. "I really don't give a damn."

"Also, milk and eggs for tomorrow."

Jed surrendered at that last request. He stopped in his tracks once again and this time, he tossed Abbey his keys. "That's it, you go."

"That was the line? Milk and eggs?"

"That was the line," he confirmed. "It's all yours."

"And you're okay with never hearing the end of it?"

"I'm more than okay."

She grinned at him. "I'll take my own car."

"No, take mine. I need gas." He returned that sly grin. "You're not the only one who's 'cute.' "

"I can think of a few other four-letter words..."

"Hey now, watch that language."

As husband and wife shared a light moment, Abbey opened the door to find Liz and Doug on the porch.

"Are you guys going out?" Liz asked.

"Just your mother. She has errands."

Abbey playfully smacked him in the belly. "Chocolate run, baby doll. Want to keep me company?"

"I can't turn down chocolate!"

"You're going to go?" Doug asked his wife, concerned.

"It'll just be a few minutes. The store's down the street."

"Why don't you both stay and I'll go?" he offered.

"Doug, I'm fine." Liz looked at her mother. "He thinks because I'm so far along, he has to hover over me and keep his eyes on me at all times."

"I just want to make sure you're okay."

"I'm fine," she told him. "Go keep my dad company."

Doug exchanged a glance with Jed as he stepped inside the house. A panicked Jed stepped further onto the porch. Quality time with Doug wasn't exactly the arrangement he had in mind.

"Abbey, wait a second."

"Sorry, can't." Abbey threw him a look from the side and gleefully laughed on her way to the car. "I'm sure you and Doug can entertain yourselves for 20 minutes."

"Abigail, you planned this," he said as he waited for Liz to climb into the passenger's seat.

"What?"

"Leaving me alone with that man."

"That man happens to be our son-in-law. And no, I really didn't plan it. But think of it as an opportunity."

"An opportunity for what?"

"I hear he got a promotion at work and he's probably dying to share the details. Ask him."

Jed pondered this and opted for the lesser of two evils. "I'll go to the store."

"You said you didn't want to go."

"I changed my mind."

Abbey saw Liz brooding in the car, then focused on her husband. "You sure?"

"Positive."

She tossed him the keys and stood by as he opened the driver's side door to slide in. He was barely inside when Liz's voice echoed.

"Dad, why can't you give him a chance?"

Jed jumped back out. "I can't do it."

"What?"

"Listen to our daughter scold me all the way to the store without telling her what a complete and utter loser she married. I just can't do it." He threw the keys back to Abbey. "You go with my blessing."

"And you'll return inside to keep Doug company?"

"We'll see."

"Jed..."

"All right, fine, whatever. Keep him company, set him on fire, I'll decide when I get there."

She chuckled and gave him a kiss. "Back before you know it."

* * *

Abbey and Liz had a complicated relationship. Liz was three years old when Abbey started medical school and began a long and laborious journey toward her dream of becoming a surgeon. It was no secret she sometimes missed things - school events, dance competitions, cheerleading practices. Liz was less than understanding about her mother's absence, but as the years went on and Abbey progressed through training, eventually graduating residency and fellowship and earning a more reasonable work/life balance, Liz backed down, remembering that despite missing activities from time to time, Abbey had always been there when it really mattered.

When she was sick as a little girl, Abbey slept in her room. When she needed a First Communion dress, Abbey drove her all over New England to find a dress that made her feel like a princess. When she was on the outs with her best friends in middle school, Abbey planned a slumber party that was sure to make the four girls forget their conflict and get to know each other all over again. When she suffered a broken heart in high school, Abbey stayed up with her, letting her vent and cry on her shoulder. And when she came home from college and revealed that she was pregnant, Abbey showed her love and compassion and worked tirelessly to repair her relationship with Jed.

She'd never forget Abbey's support during that period. She was so scared her parents would abandon her. After she finally admitted the truth about her pregnancy and plans not to return to college, Jed walked out and to Liz, it validated her deepest fears. Too angry to talk and too sad to stay, he could barely look at her. Liz would have been so lost without Abbey, holding her and promising her that somehow, the family would make it through together. It had only been nine months, but that night at the farm seemed like a million years ago. They'd come a long way since then and Liz was proud of that, but as she sat in the car and stared out the window, she remembered how much further there was to go.

"Think Dad will ever be comfortable with Doug?"

"Give him time."

"Doug's been in my life for years. How long does he need?"

"It's complicated, Lizzie." She caught a glance of her daughter. "Where's your seat belt?"

"The store's only 5 minutes away."

"I don't care. Put on your seat belt."

"I care. I'm an adult, I'm pregnant and as big as a house. The seat belt is uncomfortable."

"There are safe and comfortable ways to wear a seat belt when you're pregnant."

Liz sighed. "Not going to happen, Mom."

"Lizzie..." Abbey shook her head. "Why does everything have to be an argument?"

Abbey stepped on the brake as she approached the stop sign at that four-way intersection. She saw that it was clear before she lifted her foot and started to pull forward. That's when she saw the headlights. Bright headlights that pierced the night sky as they barreled through the intersection at a speed twice the posted limit. In those three horrifying seconds that felt like an eternity, Abbey and Liz gasped, frozen in fear. Abbey never before believed the stories that people shared about their lives flashing before their eyes, but that moment changed everything as a kaleidoscope of colorful images ran through her mind - her parents, Jed, Lizzie, Ellie, Zoey.

She heard the screeching of the brakes. Liz screamed. Abbey turned the wheel as far as it would go and floored the gas in a vain effort to escape the crash. She extended her arm across Liz's chest to prevent her from lurching forward and hurting herself or the baby. The thundering roar of the impact sent the Bartlets' car off the road, across the rough terrain and down a small hillside gully in a terrifying path that ended in a collision in the shallow stream below.

And just like that, it was over.

The other car sped away, leaving in its wake, dead silence.

TBC


End file.
